KuroFai Island
by KuroFaiSplee
Summary: Mokona has slipped up and stranded Kurogane and Fai on the opposite side of an island from Sakura and Syaoran. Mokona is with the other two, leaving Kuro and Fai survive together.
1. Day One

**Disclaimer: Not my characters, but it is my plot spin!**

**Prelude**

I am descending. Vision impaired by my blonde locks coupled with blurring from my eye's lack of focus. I can see what looks like an island. It's tropical, palm trees and all, and also has, oddly enough, a mountain. No, many mountains. A whole chain of them. I blink. My vision clears for a split second and I can see three familiar beings descending with me on the other side of the mountains. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my stomach. I feel myself drawn backwards until my back collides with a warm surface. Somehow, despite not being able to see and not knowing what was going on, I felt safer. So safe, that I closed my eyes. The other presence and I continued to fall until we hit a rough surface and I was forced to cease what little thought process I was capable of.

**Day One**

My eyes were not open, but I suppose I just regained consciousness. I began to retain my senses. First, my sense of touch. I felt as though I was seated, still clothed, back against, a tree perhaps? Wait, what is that behind my head? At the same time I asked this to myself, my hearing cleared. A light breeze was heard, as well as felt, and it toyed with my blonde strands. I also heard breathing. I quickly opened my eyes. Before I closed them again, I saw the masculine eye, hair, and face of my travel companion, Kurogane. His head was turned to his right, so he was unaware that I had awaken. That is why I decided to close my eyes again and allowed his left palm to continue supporting my head against the bark.

I am quite aware that his hands are not smooth or soft, quite the opposite as a result of all the swordplay he does, but to me, it felt just like I was on a pillow.

I had a thought. The thought became an idea which formulated into a plan. It seemed like an eternity before the breeze picked up enough to make this look a little more realistic. I allowed my body to go limp and let it fall with the breeze. No sooner had I begun my fall, did I hear a quiet gasp and felt both of Kurogane's hands on me. The right hand caught hold of my face before it hit the ground and cradled it like a fragile object. The left hand, that originally held my head, wrapped fittingly around my waist. I always knew it would be a perfect puzzle-like fit. My heart fleeted. Not because my plan worked so well, but because of the result of the plan working. Regardless of whether he meant to or not, my Kuro-puu had made me very happy. I couldn't help but grin. Since I knew grinning would undoubtedly be a giveaway that I was no longer unconscious, I decided to give up the charade and open my eyes. Kurogane was looking straight at me with an expression of worry, and then relief.

"Why, hello there, Kuro-comfy," I said with my eyes half open. He _was_ comfortable, especially the way he was holding me, but his expression changed from relieved to annoyed.

"Shut up, Fluorite. If I hadn't come to catch you, you would have smashed your head on the rocks."

_Of course_, I thought. Even though what he said might be true, he had yet to let go of me. And I didn't mind one bit.

"Whatever you say!" I said as I stood up. I heard him growl as he did the same.

Until now, I had yet to really take in my surroundings. I was standing on the grass of a tropical island. Palm trees surrounded us on all sides, except for one. To the tree-less side, a vast beach and a clear, blue ocean. I could also see the sun out of the corner of my eye, so this was the west side of the island at late afternoon. The sky was with few clouds and the temperature seemed slightly colder than I thought a tropic isle would be. Then again, where I come from, it is always frozen, so I'm not really familiar with warmer climates and destinations.

Kurogane spoke up. "You've been unconscious for about an hour. Well, an hour relative to when I woke up. No sign of the kid, the princess, or the annoying marshmallow, though they must be nearby since we are able to communicate."

_Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun!_ I had almost forgotten. Where could they be? I took a look around and walked a few steps in the direction of the beach. They weren't there. On either side of the beach. I'm not sure why I was looking, when it's obvious that Kuro already had. I turned around and in front of me was the most colossal single mountain I had ever seen. It was unbelievably steep. Then suddenly, my mind flashed back to what must have been earlier when we first arrived. Three other had also fallen on the other side of the mountain. Who?

I turned back to Kurogane. "Thanks for taking care of me, Kuro-sweetie!" My thanks was a little late, but, I think, still due.

"Hey, if you aren't around, who will gather food for me?" He laughed a little as he said this.

I laughed back. "Oh, Kuro-puu! You're-"

"Hey!" he interjected. "Kurogane! It's Ku-ro-GA-NE!" he said slowly as if I were a young child. I would always mess with his name, he would always get extremely upset and make idle threats to me, and also Mokona, but the most that ever happened to me was that he would chase me. My quick nimbleness made me uncatchable.

"Whatever," Kurogane said. "We need to get started on survival."

"Yeah," I agreed. "With Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan, and Moko-chan somewhere else, all we have is each other, Kuro!"

"Ehh... yeah... That's true," he mumbled, shifting his gaze away from me. "Anyway, we have much to do. We need food, a place to sleep, and clean water. So, how about you find water and I'll start on some form of shelter."

"Alright, Kuro-buro! See you later!" I waved good-bye as I set off in the opposite direction into the palm forest, away from the beach and away from Kurogane.

The first trees I saw in the dense jungle bore no fruit, but the farther in I went I began to see a multitude of harvestable goods. However, I concluded that finding a clean water source was more urgent at the present time. It took awhile for me to find a possible source, but I didn't mind. I was enjoying the nice little island.

It wasn't too hot for me since Kuro-sweetie had ever so kindly removed my overcoat and undercoat, leaving my loose, plain, white T-shirt that fell well below my back and tight black pants. Not tight enough to cut off circulation, so I suppose fitting would be a better word to describe them.

When I stooped down to the stream that was flowing north toward the ocean, I could see my reflection. The wind had made a mess of my hair, but it took no time to fix. It also took no time for me to realize that even though I had found water, there was no way for me to bring some back to my island partner. Instead, I opted to being back some fruit. I waited until I was closer to the beach to pick some mangoes and bananas for "dinner." I shoved four bananas down my pants pockets and carried a banana bunch of seven in my arms along with eight mangoes. I was almost certain that some of it would fall out of my arms so I planned ahead for a second trip.

I made it all the way back to where I had started before I dropped a fruit. I dropped all of them except for the five bananas in my pants.

What I came back to was Kurogane, shirtless, standing on the ground between the jungle and beach attempting to construct hammocks out of the giant palm tree leaves. Kurogane had not heard me approaching and was only aware of my presence when he heard the food drop. He lifted from his bent over stance to reveal a very tan, very muscular body, slightly wet from sweat. Oh, and it was shiny! Quite shiny.

"Idiot! You dropped the food!" He was standing over me now. I wondered how long I had been standing there, probably looking very stupid, just staring at his unbelievably buff chest. Had he noticed?

"Sorry, Kuro," I decided against screwing with his name this time in hopes that it might lower his anger levels. "I just got bit by some insect and it startled me." That was a lie, but it worked. I still couldn't get over how perfectly sculpted his body was. It was as if he were a beautiful statue come to life, painted tan so he wouldn't retain the colour of marble, then given a snappy temper, but a good, wholesome centre that I hoped to one day reach.

"Dammit, Fai! Go wash the mangoes! You're lucky the bananas' insides can't get all sandy because of you."

Note to self: When Kuro is hungry, do not mess with his food.

I didn't much feel like going all the way back to the clean stream, so I just went the much shorter distance back to the mango trees and picked eight more mangoes. When I got back, Kurogane was in the middle of a banana, his second.

"That was quick," he commented. "Did you find clean water?"

"Yes, but these are new mangoes. There is a stream running north, but it's kinda far. I would have brought water back with me, but I have nothing to carry it in."

"Wish you did," he said after swallowing the last of the second banana. "I'm parched from working in the sun."

I gazed pointingly toward the failed attempt at a leaf hammock, then back at the one who attempted. I didn't even have to speak for Kurogane to growl at me.

"You think _you_ could have done a better job, Fluorite?" he asked rhetorically, standing up. "Why don't we let the weakling do all the back breaking labour, and _I'll_ gather the fruit?"

I didn't respond. I just laughed a little and allowed my eyes to follow my insulter as he paced back and forth meaninglessly.

"What are you staring at?" he asked me.

"Why, you, Kuro-cutie!"

_Woah, did I really just say that?_ I thought. I guess it's alright, but I do suppose it was a little forward. Wait, "forward?" There is no relationship here. Well, no potential relationship, anyway. Sure, I do feel an extra beat added to my heart rate when I'm around Kurogane, but just because I do does not mean that he feels anything of the sort around me. Even if I were to confess one of my deepest feelings, that Kurogane meant so much more to me than my tease-able travel companion, he would surely not respond in the desired manner. The only end result would be the awkward turtle and its posse of awkward friends at the Awkward Zoo awkwardly stampeding through every awkward conversation Kuro and I would dare to have from then on. Awkwardly. And that isn't what I wanted at all, for either of us. However... somehow, I have not lost all hope.

"What did you just call me?" Kuro-cutie asked. Was he... blushing...? No, impossible. That was just the reflection of the sun on his cheeks.

"Nothing, Kuro," I said with a laugh.

"Whatever. We are still in need of a place to sleep!" He was right. "Here, help me put together this hammock. We need to hurry before the sun sets and we run out of light."

"You do plan on building a fire, right, Kuro-smartie?"

"First, duh. Second, stop messing with my name, and third, fire light will not be enough to work by, so let's get going."

I obeyed and we worked diligently, with a few short breaks to eat and rest our hands. The hammock making process went quite fast with a team of two. We managed to construct two sturdy palm tree leaf hammocks. Now to attach them to the trees... That would be a problem. If we had more time, we might have been able to find a way to mount them. But we did not have time. And the temperature had dropped dramatically. I had Kurogane hand me my coats, but I felt guilty for hogging all the warm. Mokona had been asked to carry Kuro's over-clothes in the last dimension, which was a desert we very narrowly escaped from with blows to the skull. Kuro had put back on his shirt, the only garment he possessed besides pants and shoes.

I looked down at myself with a bit of shame, then my eyes rolled up so I could see Kurogane. He was... shivering! I couldn't let him be cold while I stayed nice and toasty.

"You look cold," I said.

"Nah, I'm fine. Or at least I will be once I make a fire. Sorry I didn't earlier, but time got away from me while I was trying to make us beds."

"It's alright. I'll get some wood," I said as I jogged to the jungle, not wanting Kuro to have to work in complete darkness.

Once I had some wood I sat on the sand pointlessly and watched as Kurogane attempted to make a spark in the fading sunlight. I wasn't sure if he noticed me, my eyes glazing over his shapely biceps completely filling the sleeves of his shirt as they worked to try and build a fire. He seemed to be working in slow motion. I directed my gaze to his face. In the increasingly dimmer light, he had an increasingly mysterious look about him.

"What _are_ you looking at?" he asked, snapping me out of my half-minded state, which I quickly recovered from with, "What was I looking at last time, Kuro-cutie?"

I had done it again. This time he answered me.

"Kuro... cutie?" he asked with an extreme question mark. "You think that I'm..." he didn't finish.

Maybe because he couldn't finish, or, more than likely, because he spotted the spark that set the wood alight.

"Alright!" he praised himself as he made the fire bigger. He got it not a moment too late, as it was now very close to being dark.

"Hey, Fluorite, since you're already warm, why don't you get some sleep?"

I complied, since I had nothing better to do anyway. I dragged the slightly smaller pile of leaves a few feet away from the fire, curled up in my coat on my belly, and allowed sleep to take me.

* * *

"Gahh!" My eyes snapped open to complete darkness. Where had the fire gone?

"Damn you, wind..." I heard Kurogane mumble. So, that's what happened. I couldn't just do nothing and fall back asleep while Kurogane froze to death.

"Hey, Kuro-coldie!" I whispered out of the black. That seemed to startle him a bit.

"Oh, you're awake."

"Yes, lucky for you!"

"How is it lucky?"

"Cause I'm going to share my warmness with you, Kuro-coldie!" I said with a grin he could not see.

"Ehh...?" He sounded partly confused, partly relieved.

"Come now, Kuro, follow the sound of my voice!" I stood on my knees and began to hum quietly, but loud enough to be heard over the wind, as Kurogane came over to me.

"Hmmmm... Mmm mmm mm mmm mm mm... Hmmmm hmmm mmm mm mm... HMMMM!"

I reached out my hand so that I could feel when Kurogane was reached me. Oh, he had reached me alright. His brawny body collided with my palm. Even though I couldn't see my own hand that was resting on Kuro's chest in front of me, I tilted my head upward. I could _feel_ him staring right back at me. Had he heard my little mini-squeal when he bumped into me? I hope not... Oh, how embarrassing... How long had we been sitting like this? Why had he not pulled away or slapped my hand down? Was his heart beating a little fast? Who would be the one to break the silence?

It was a giant gust of wind that broke the silence and the physical connection Kurogane and I shared for that short time. My hand was forced to retreat. I heard Kurogane shiver. As if on impulse, he threw himself at me. As if on impulse, I "caught" him. He was right in front of me, on his knees, with his arms wrapped around himself. This is... half a hug! And it was making me even warmer. I hoped it was doing the same for him. My hands absorbed the heat from his back and his breath warmed me even more. Without a word, I unhanded Kurogane and began to remove my over and undercoats. He kept silent and still. Once my coats were off, and I had a short moment to feel the cold Kurogane was feeling, I spoke.

"Good night, Kuro-sleepy!" I whispered as I draped my coats over us and the palm leaves we were on top of. I laid down with Kuro and he sighed, probably happy that he was finally warm.

"Hey," I heard him grunt.

"Hm?" I answered.

"Thank you, Fai," he said. It was just a thanks, but I couldn't help but smile. It seemed, oddly enough, incredibly genuine. He doesn't normally call me by my name, which is understandable seeing that I never address him by his name.

"No problem... Kurogane." I figured I could return the gesture.

I heard him chuckle. "About time you call me by my proper name."

"Don't get too comfy with it, Kuro-puu!" I giggled.

He let out a half grunt, half laugh.

After that, I realized just how close in proximity we were. We weren't even 12 inches apart, because my coat and the leaves are only so big. I shifted into my regular sleeping position, on my stomach. Kurogane stayed on his side, facing me. I fell asleep with the wind roughly tossing my hair and Kurogane's breathing overcoming the aldigity of the wind, warming my face, and warming my heart.

* * *

So, what do you think of my first ever fan fiction? I was really excited to start writing this because my best friend Ashley and I are both writing one at the same time. Mine is going to be more of a cutesy little romance spinoff where they go to an extra dimension CLAMP neglected to add in. Her's is more plotsy, and an awesome Tsubasa/Avatar crossover, but not less yaoi! Perhaps we will switch roles for our next fan fictions. She will write the cute one, and I will write the story based one. I dunno. Either way, I hope you enjoyed and I will be working on more over my spring break!

Oh, also, this title was an on-the-spot thing. I also thought of Total Yaoi Island (Total Drama Island, yeah, haha) but then people might expect hardcore thrusting, messy, XXX rated KuroFai, which (edit) I will TOTALLY warn you about before I add anything like that in. So, does anyone have title suggestions? You can leave them for me if you do!

**WAY LATER EDIT: I have started back on this story again after two long years! Now that I am a high school graduate, I have no homework to get in my way of anything ever again... until college. But college also gives freetime. Anyway, I'm fixing all the grammar and spelling mistakes of old chapters that mt 15-year-old self didn't catch. If you'd like to read the story over again with me, I'll make it worth your while! :)**


	2. Day Two

**Here's What Happened Yesterday...**

Kurogane and Fai are alone together on a tropical island without Mokona or the others. Fai fakes a fall so Kurogane will catch and hold him. Fai goes to get food and locate water while Kurogane attempts to build two hammocks for them to sleep in. The hammocks don't get finished because they don't have anything to hang them with, and they also run out of time. Fai calls Kurogane cute, but Kurogane doesn't get a chance to really answer because Kuro gets distracted from the fire he just then sparked. The two go to sleep, but come to find out that the nights on the island are nothing like the sunny days. It is frigid and windy. The wind puts out the fire, leaving Kurogane freezing. Fai offers to share his coats with the warrior, and Kurogane thanks him by calling the mage by his name. Fai returns the gesture, and they fall asleep next to each other. And that's all that happened!

**Day Two**

As I awoke, my eyelids automatically lifted and my eyes took in the sunlight right along with...! Kurogane's shirt! My memories from the previous night suddenly came flooding back into my conscious mind.

_That's right, the winds whisked away the fire leaving Kuro-coldie no choice but to spend the night with me!_

I quickly wiped away the smile that had crept onto my face without me noticing and flicked my gaze upward. Kurogane was still sound asleep. For a few moments, I was internally debating with myself whether or not to get out of "bed" and start my day, or stay put and not risk waking Kurogane. My argument with myself left me staring up at the handsome face of the one who had fallen asleep beside me. His face was considerably calmer while he slept, allowing his usually overworked facial muscles a much needed relaxation. Sleeping Kurogane was very... mellow, and gentle looking. He had no reason not to be. Sleep is a wonderful thing.

My eyes worked their way downward to his slowly rising and falling chest. I don't think I have ever met a man to have such a body. Not that I had been looking, but still. My mind presented me with a vivid flashback to yesterday when I came back from picking fruit to find Kuro-sama shirtless. A very slight chill dashed down my spine. Absolute perfection he was.

I averted my eyes for a second to look down at my own form. Skinny, tall, and lanky. I was a pale pole compared to Kurogane, and pretty much any other guy. _I_ didn't have a problem with how I looked. I didn't have a problem with what anyone thought of how I looked. Well, let me not kid myself here. I might have a slight problem with a certain someone not liking my appearance... Well, sort of a big problem... Okay, a really big problem if-

"Oh!" I softly gasped at the new change in Kurogane's sleeping position before I could even fully register what had happened. Still fast asleep, Kurogane had made a 90° turn and was now, partially, on top of my back. I felt an instant surge of warmth, partially, from his body heat and his breath combing through my hair. The buff chest I had just been observing now rested on my back and his strong thighs now lay on my weaker ones. His neck was right in front of my face, and within biting distance.

_Ohmygosh!_ I thought, but I dared not speak. Kurogane's arm finally decided to move like the rest of his body. His hand could not have landed anywhere except for on my rear end, could it? Even though Kurogane was just sleeping, this was too much for me. If I knew it wasn't an accident from Kuro-sleepie, _maybe_, it'd be a little different. But it was an accident so it might as well have been a complete stranger doing it.

How in the world would I explain what he had done? That, I wanted to avoid. ("Morning, Kuro-sleepie! I had to get up because your subconscious mind grabbed my butt! Banana?")

All of those thoughts entered my mind in a split second. I couldn't take another moment to think of a possible course of action before the hand of Kurogane went from resting on my bum to firmly grasping it. I gasped and bolted away on impulse, without thinking at all, totally disregarding the fact that he was asleep. No doubt he was no longer. With a string of swears and a group of grunts, Kurogane lifted himself upright, then jerked his head to face me, who was sitting in a crab position from my frantic scramble away from Kurogane's booty-hunting hands.

"What the hell? Why they hell did you wake me up? And so abruptly!" He didn't even give me a chance to think of a not-so-embarassing answer. He had already tossed my coats off of him and was making his way in the opposite direction.

"I'm sorry, Kuro, I just..."

"You just what? What could have possibly made you do that?" I didn't think he would get _this_ angry...

"Alright, Kuro-cranky, I'm sorry if I woke you up during a good dream! But just... I was getting... a bit... uncomfortable..."

"Uncomfortable?" he repeated. "And you think jerking out away from under me was comfortable?" he roared. But then, shortly after, for a split second, I thought I saw him looking oddly, as if he hadn't meant to say what he just said. Does that mean...?

He interrupted my thoughts with, "I'm going to look for the kid and the others," and stomped away from me in the direction of the mountains.

_That was weird... Why did he overreact to me simply waking him up? And how did he know that I was underneath him if he was asleep? Unless... he wasn't asleep! But come on, that doesn't add up... Yesterday, I pretended to be asleep in order to see if Kurogane would catch me. He did, and just right I might add, but why would he pretend to be asleep so he could roll all over me and grab my butt? He wouldn't, that's why. If Kurogane had any feelings for me, they were on the basis that I always annoy him and he wanted to get back to his world and away from me as soon as possible._ I frowned at this thought as I picked up my coats and used a sturdy tree branch as a coat hanger. _I know I like Kurogane... like, REALLY like Kurogane, and yet I still went crazy when he touched my butt._ I was kicking myself on the inside for not allowing him to grab whatever the hell he wanted on me. This was my one opportunity to have Kurogane close to me, and I blew it because it had startled me.

I now stood idle, just staring in the direction Kurogane had begun in to look for Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan.

_If he finds them, then our time alone will be over._ I shuddered at the thought. Certainly he wanted to end this as soon as possible, but I didn't. I wanted to use this once-in-a-journey chance to get closer to Kurogane, or at least attempt to. Even just being better friends with him would satisfy me. That would be... so great. But if he found Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan today, I would have spent only one night with him, and those feelings had just been doused by this morning's confrontation. He can't find them yet. I haven't had enough alone time with him.

All of a sudden, my mind's eye saw three figures falling, on the other side of the island's mountains. Then it hit me. That was the barrier between us, that mountain. Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan, and Moko-chan were on the other side. I was surprised it took me an entire day to piece that together. I broke into a run after Kurogane. If there was a cave or anything at all connecting both sides of the mountain, then my fantasy come true would be all over, all too soon. As I dodged the palm trees, I began to think. _What do I do to keep him away from the mountain? What do I tell him when I see him? I need to convince him to-_

I was up in the air, suspended by my left ankle before I could even notice enough to cry out. I was alone in the middle of the jungle, dangling by a limb.

"KUROGANE! HELP ME!" I cried. I awaited a response as blood rushed to my head.

After no answer came for a few seconds, I yelled again. I didn't want to yell a third time, since obviously Kurogane was not the only one on the island who could potentially hear me.

"FAI! WHERE ARE YOU?" Kurogane's manly voice sounded from not too far away. I could hear distant footsteps rapidly approaching.

"Right here!" I said at a normal volume. Kurogane didn't take long reaching me.

"What the hell happened?" he asked as he attempted to get me out of the tree.

"I don't know! I was just running and... this happened!" Two seconds later, I hit Kurogane's arm and my hands broke my fall to the ground. When I looked up, I could see Kurogane standing over me in such a way that would suggest that he had tried to catch me, but, evidently, had failed. I stood and looked up at the evil limbs that captured my own.

"What were you doing to get yourself stuck like that, idiot?"

"Do you really think that I _chose_ for this tree to take me, Kuro-smartie?" I said with a bit of an attitude.

"Call me by my name, dammit!" he exploded. "And no, I don't think you meant to do this, but I do know one thing now. We are not alone on this island."

An ominous air blew past us as I stood in silence, taking in Kurogane's words. I didn't like the idea of meeting any strangers on this island, particularly not the primitive, violent kind. I didn't want to believe that was what we were dealing with here, but my gut told me that we most likely were.

My thoughts were interrupted by Kurogane's sudden movement. He was grabbing the rope that had trapped me. It was quite bit of rope, and I immediately knew what he was thinking.

"Kuro-smartie! Very good idea!" I said, commenting on his apparent intention to use the rope to mount the hammocks.

"I'm going to get a drink of water, but you can go ahead and head back," I told him as I waved goodbye. He acknowledged my departure with a nod.

When I reached the stream, I found something that confirmed my fears. Near the banks, lay a spear. I first looked around cautiously to ensure I was alone. I didn't see nor hear anyone or anything, so I walked forward until I reached the weapon. It was hand-crafted, and quite well made, which took away the notion that the other inhabitants were peaceful. Is that... blood? Oh yeah, definitely not peaceful.

While attempting to push those thoughts to the back of my mind, I got the drink of water I intentionally came for by weaving a small basket out of the area's palm tree leaves. It was an on-the-spot invention, but it worked! And I was proud of myself. I decided to bring Kurogane back a "cup" of water, and also the spear, to cheer him up a little.

I began to make my way back to the campsite. It was only the second day, but the scenery was starting to get old already. The birds were singing, and a breeze was blowing, but this weather is not what I am accustomed to. It was nice for a short while, but I was also ready for the cold of the night this isle offered. With my two coats, I was completely fine. But Kurogane on the other hand, had the bare minimum clothing, which was a win/lose. I got to see a lot more of him than usual, but it was also a concern of mine. I didn't want him to catch a cold!

When I reached Kurogane, I couldn't help but feel a small speck of sadness when I saw he had his shirt on. On the flip side, he was doing very well on the hammocks!

"I brought you some water, Kuro-thirsty!" I told him when he looked up at me from his work. He expressed his gratitude and drank up. I showed him the spear I found near the water and I accidentally zoned out as he gave it a once over and I had to ask him to repeat himself.

"I said, we can go fishing with this spear. Were you listening to me, idiot?"

"Oh no, sorry, I zoned out," I said truthfully.

"So you were just... staring at me?"

"What?" I said, exasperated. "Oh, no I wasn't..." I didn't even know I was staring. I was thinking about what fruit to have for lunch. Good thing the next thing Kuro said was, "Whatever, let's eat."

Kurogane had picked some fresh fruit on his way back, it seemed. Some pineapples. Kurogane split the pineapples so we could each have one. They were messy to eat with just my hands, but after two whole pineapples, I was full, and it was late afternoon. Before it got too dark, Kurogane asked me to go collect some more water. I obeyed, and actually went above and beyond and made more baskets. I could only carry two full baskets, so I stacked the other two I made underneath them and headed back.

The sun was in the process of setting when I returned. "I brought back some water, Kuro-puu!" I announced to my companion. "And two more baskets!" I added.

"Great," he said. "I finished the hammock, as you can see." He pointed toward it. One hammock was now hanging between two trees and it seemed quite sturdy, like it actually wouldn't fall and break if we both got on it. Next, I noticed the other pile of leaves that was supposed to be the other hammock. It was sitting by the old firewood from last night.

"Nice work, Kuro-handy, but I only see one bed!" Suddenly I had a thought. "Are you planning on sleeping with me, Kuro-comfy?" I asked him, half joking, half serious, totally cutely.

"No, you idiot! I only had enough rope to hang one hammock," he said, crushing my hopes. I laughed a little just to keep disappointment off of my face.

"Well, you did a nice job with _your_ bed, Kuro-tan!" I said, but then realized I probably sounded ungrateful or something, even if it was Kuro's bed.

Luckily, he didn't take it that way. "What? No, that's your bed." I suppose my eyes lit up when he said this, because he quickly attempted to clarify his decision. "Well, it wouldn't make sense for me to take the hammock, now would it? For you to have your coats _and_ the fire. Yeah, you go ahead and take the bed, I'll be fine."

I couldn't help but say, "Aww, Kuro-sweetie is taking care of me!"

And I suppose he couldn't help but say, "Shut up, Fluorite," as he walked toward the firewood. He began to build a fire for the night. Since I had nothing better to do, I watched Kurogane work and made light conversation.

"So, any ideas where Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan, and Moko-chan might be?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, this island is pretty big, but it is only so big, so we will have to find them eventually. And I think it is a safe bet they are on the island since we are still able to communicate."

I saw a spark out of the corner of my eye and noted that Kurogane's fire-making skills had improved since yesterday.

"We can search the south side of the island tomorrow," I suggested as I scooted closer to the fire. I hadn't put my coat on yet and I wasn't ready to leave Kurogane's side for the night. I was surprised Kurogane hadn't told me to go to bed yet, or at least away from him. Perhaps he rather enjoyed my company. This was what I hoped, but it may simply be his toleration of the only known being on the island. Then I remembered that we were sharing the island with a least one other person. I shuddered, and Kurogane noticed.

"Cold?"

"No, I was just thinking," I said, leaving him no choice but to get curious.

"About...?"

"Well," I started, "What if the other person, or people, on this island took Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan?"

Kurogane's calm expression changed to one with a combination of worry and surprise. Probably because my comment was a legitimate cause for concern and not just something random and stupid.

"Then again," I started again, "What if the other person or people took them _in_?"

"That is a thought. And with that said, we must find the other inhabitants of the island," Kurogane said, pretty much making our plan for the next day.

I yawned.

"So, you should go to sleep, and so will I," Kurogane told me after he saw the yawn. I hadn't tried to hide it, I was a little sleepy, as well as chilly.

I stood up and walked around to the other side of the fire where my coats and bed were. I put on both, then turned around to bid Kurogane a good night, but before I couldn't speak, I saw Kurogane shiver. Evidently, even the toughest of guys can't beat nature.

I decided to take off my undercoat and give it to Kuro as a blanket. I put back on my overcoat, then grasped my other coat in both hands as I made my way over to Kurogane. When I neared him, he looked up at me, silent. I slowly bent down, still looking into his eyes and he looking into mine. I draped the coat over his broad shoulders. He looked down at it and before I arose, I leaned in so I was very close to his ear, then let my hand rest on his shoulder. He turned to me, wide-eyed, but still silent, our faces not half a foot apart.

"Good night, Kuro-coldie," I whispered to him.

Ten seconds later I was in my hammock. Ten more seconds later, I was half asleep.

* * *

Thanks for all the great reviews so far! It's incredibly encouraging! Sorry this chapter wasn't quite _as_ cute, but trust me, the next one makes up for it!

**WAY LATER EDIT: This chapter has also been looked over! I'll post one of these after each one so you can know where I am in this process and how close I am to finally writing something new.**


	3. Day Three

**The Previous Day..**.

Since Fai and Kurogane fell asleep next to each other, naturally Fai wakes up next to him as well. However, Kuro-naughty-naughty rolls over on top of Fai and his hand falls right onto Fai's bum. Fai freaks out and accidentally rudely awakens Kurogane, who storms off in the other direction. Fai regrets getting so startled so soon, and goes after him. Not only did he not want Kuro to find the others, he also wanted to make it up to him. However, Fai gets stuck in a trap Kurogane has to help him out of and they realize they have company on the island. Fai goes to get a drink of water, while Kurogane takes the rope from the booby trap to suspend the hammocks with. Fai not only gets water, he carries Kurogane back a drink in hand-made baskets and also a spear. Kurogane decides they can fish with the spear. He has made progress on the hammocks, but only had enough rope to mount one. Another fire is made, and Fai pitches the idea that the other inhabitants of the island may have met Sakura, Syaoran, and Mokona. The fire didn't get blown out this time, but Kurogane was still cold. Fai generously gave Kurogane his undercoat with a, "Good night, Kuro-puu," and went back to his hammock. And now, on to Day Three!

**Day Three**

I awoke on my side, my back to the ocean. I could see into the jungle and I could hear birds singing, as if they were trying to wake me. With it being very early in the morning, I was not yet ready to be awake, but I was slightly uncomfortable. I decided to flip over toward the beach for a quick second to check on Kurogane. I ended up checking _out_ Kurogane. This finding was completely unintentional, though I can't say I was disappointed to find it.

When I turned my body, I saw Kurogane's body. _A lot_ of Kurogane's body. He was knee-deep in the ocean water, completely unclothed, running his hands through his wet hair, washing it. All thought process in my head ceased as my heart took over, hammering in my chest, nearly ripping out. I'm surprised he didn't hear it, it was so loud. My eyelids tore as far away from each other as possible to give me the largest field of vision I could obtain. And from what my vision obtained, I must confess I got a little "excited," if you know what I mean. Kurogane has buns of bronze, perfect ones. I say bronze because for one, it alliterates, and for two, in that light, they looked a dark bronze. A very sexy dark bronze. His back was shaped just like a stereotypical muscle-man's back would be and his broad shoulders, bare and dripping, were far beyond comparison to anything. If there was a more flawless anatomy, it did not exist.

He had finished scrubbing his hair, face, and neck. Now he moved deeper into the ocean and turned a quarter turn, the best angle for me to get a nice look at his glistening pectorals without him getting a nice look at me staring. It was like watching a naughty adult beach film as Kurogane washed his torso.

_He is so... sexy!_

Yes, it's true. Ever since we met, I had always been intrigued by Kurogane, but this...! This was almost too much for me to handle!

_What if he turns around and...?_

No sooner had I begun the thought did Kurogane move again. He began to walk toward me, with his head turned down at the very thing I had been half dreading, half dying to see this morning. Since he was coming this way, quite slowly, more of his body was being revealed with every few steps on this gently sloping beach.

I had a panic attack. No, I was freaking out.

_Am I ready to see that much of him? I think... I think I am. Yes! Hurry up and get up here so I can see your Kuro-nana!_

For a few horribly long and wonderful seconds, I was forced to stare in waiting at Kurogane's pecs once again, something I am certain I will never tire of, but today, in mere seconds, I was ready to see something more. Until I was stricken with another sort of panic, much more intense this time.

_What if he catches me staring at his... NO! He can't!_

I quickly slammed my eyes shut.

_Obviously, Kuro thought that the odds of me waking this early to find him bathing were low enough to take this chance... Oh, if he ever found me staring at him unclothed...! I daresay he would gouge my eyes out himself! _I shuddered at the thought of losing an eye. What a horrible fate that would be!

After a few calm-down moments, with my eyes still shut (as in, not open, and therefore not able to see Kurogane's bottom half), I remembered that I was still sleepy. And so I fell back asleep within a matter of minutes with a nice pairing of Kuro-butt and Kuro-sexy-chesty freshly imprinted in my mind.

* * *

I awake in Kurogane's arms. We are lying in the sand on the beach. Somehow, my shirt has been removed, and so has Kurogane's. I am cradled against his bare chest and he is looking down at me. Our gazes connect.

"Oh, thank goodness you're alright...!" He breathes a sigh of relief. I open my mouth to speak, but he uses his free right hand to put his finger to my lips. "Shhh... not a word," he says. "Just let me take care of you." He begins to stroke my hair. Then he looks down at the ground with an expression of sadness.

"You were injured by the savages." He begins picking up my left hand with his right. "I did all I could..." He strokes my hand with his thumb. "...and I suffered a few wounds as well..." He takes a quick glance toward his arm, around which I can see a bloody bandage. "...but I will never forgive myself for not being quick enough to save you from them." He sounds genuinely pained. He slowly kisses my hand. Twice. When he is done, he clutches my hand to his chest. Now we are sitting in silence. Kurogane said I was hurt, but I can't feel any pain.

"You know, Fai..." Kurogane starts again. "I am going to train more. Every day."

_Why?_ I think. I don't say anything, but he answers me anyway.

"I need to be stronger... to protect you. When I saw them attack you in your sleep, I rushed over, but I wasn't quick enough." He sighs and looks at my hand. I see a small cut, and that is all. I open my mouth once again to speak, but his finger stops me once again. He gently sets my hand down on my stomach.

"Wait... I have something I need to get off my chest." Ironically, he brings my hand back to his chest. I wait anxiously as he struggles for the right words. He doesn't find any. Instead he chooses to express himself by using his arm to lift me forward until my head is just a little below his. As if I am following a script, I wrap one arm around his neck and the other I let rest on his buffness. The arm he's using to cradle me now serves the purpose of holding me at the waist. The other arm controlled the hand that was playing with my hair. He parts it to the side so there will be enough room for his lips on my forehead. Slowly, he pulls back. I can see him slightly blushing.

"You know, despite your injury, if there were a doctor here, I wouldn't allow him to see you. I would never let another man touch you."

I blink.

"Cause I... I'm... well... I love you, Fai. With... every fibre of my being! No...! I'm _in_ love with you. And I can't stand to be apart from you... ever. It would tear me apart every second. But it really, _really_ helps me to know that, well, it seems you feel the same way."

I blink again.

"If the time ever comes when we must part ways, I know already that I will not be able to. Fai, being away from you for longer than a minute would be a fate worse than death." He places his hand on mine over his heart. "Sorry to sound cheesy," he says blushing even more now, "but these are my true feelings for you."

He had been shifting his gaze here and there, but now his eyes are staring directly into mine. We stay like this for a while, until I notice his face is getting closer, as if he is about to give me my first kiss. He closes his eyes and comes even closer to me. I prepare myself for the kiss as well. My eyes shut, but no sooner, they reopen.

I heard a very loud scream from Kurogane and I found myself out of the hammock, and on all fours below it. I took a moment to collect my thoughts. Fragments of memory all rushed back at once then placed themselves chronologically.

_Woah, Kuro-sexy kissed my hand!_

_And my forehead!_

_I was hurt by the savages._

_Kuro-seme took care of me!_

_Doctors can't help me._

_Oh, he was about to kiss me!_

_He's... he's in love with me... but... it was... just a dream..._

My heart plummeted into darkness as I stood up, remembering why I had awoken from that spectacular and sensational fantasy.

I threw off my overcoat and I ran into the jungle, following the sound of loud grunts. Seconds later, I heard a thud. A few more seconds, and the one I had a dream about appeared before me. He was helping himself up, swearing fervently.

"Are you alright, Kuro?" I asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine... Just another one of those stupid rope traps."

"Not so hard to get caught in one is it, hmm?" I was referring to yesterday when he called me an idiot for the very thing that just happened to him.

"Shut up. Consider it unintentional payback for when you woke me up yesterday. Now, you can either come with me to look for the kid and the girl, or you can go back to the campsite."

That comment struck me deep. Simply because Kurogane considered waking me from the best dream I've ever had, however unrealistic the dream was, as payback for me being startled when he grabbed my backside. Now I wished even more that I hadn't reacted so quickly to that. Wasn't it, after all, what I wanted? In a desperate attempt to push those thoughts aside, I began to follow the same man who, not five minutes ago, held me, stroked my hair, kissed me, and told me that he loved me.

We headed south in silence. It seemed like hours before one of us spoke. It was Kuro. He put out his arm to stop me from walking.

"Do you hear that?" he whispered.

I strained my ears, and for a while, all I heard was background noise, nothing out of the ordinary. Then I jumped a little when heard some gibberish talking. It wasn't far away.

Kurogane mouthed, "Follow me!" I nodded to show I understood and walked to Kurogane's side. He looked around, then silently crept forward so he was behind a fat tree. I followed. When he found another fat tree, he proceeded again in the direction of the voices. I did the same. For five stealthy minutes, this continued until the voices becoming recognizable. No, it wasn't Sakura-chan or Syaoran-kun, but we could understand them thanks to one of Mokona's 108 secret techniques.

The first voice was female, and it said: "Where did King Okunolopo go?"

The answer came from a male. "He went south to search for other possible inhabitants of the island."

Kuro took this conversation as an opportunity to sneak closer. He found a particularly wide tree and slid over to it. His eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and I froze. My heart began pounding. In a few seconds, he beckoned me over and I tiptoed to his side, as close as I could get without touching Kurogane.

What I saw chilled me to the core. We saw the savages, and they _were_ savage. The exact mental stereotype of what an island savage might look like was presented right in front of me. The woman was dressed in a simple dress of leaves while the man had just two leaves, one around his hips and one other that didn't quite cover all the essentials. (Know this, seeing him nearly naked did _nothing_ for me. Only seeing Kurogane can do anything for me, okay? Okay.) They both had blood crusted all over their bodies and leaf-clothes and their hair was a mess. It was knotted and dirty brown. Did their hair have blood on it too? Gosh, they were very red people. Their skin, their blood, their eyes...!

Now, Kurogane has red eyes too, but he's different. When I look into Kurogane's eyes, depending on his mood, sometimes there is a sea of lava, boiling and angry, or when he is being calm, I'd have to compare his eyes to a placid sunset when the sky goes completely red. _Their_ eyes on the other hand were full of hatred and a lust to hurt things. Luckily, I had already used the bathroom because had I not, there would have been a big mess all over Kuro's shoes from the shock these people brought.

Another woman came into view. Her hair was much longer and therefore much more tangled. She was pregnant. Very pregnant.

"Rupununu, Temona! I don't see much food in the stores. I've got to eat for more than just me!" she said.

"Calm down, Nuna," the other woman said. "Food washes up on the beach all the time!"

_Food?_

"That's true," Nuna commented. "We would have more if we would've let the last food breed..."

"Sure, but King Okunolopo is certain that he will find some delicacies soon. Some of the ropes we've set up are gone and we have both heard screams. Don't worry, Nuna, we won't be eating stinky fish forever! Soon enough we will be enjoying the succulent cuisine we all crave!"

"Human flesh!" all three of the savages said simultaneously. They laughed. I gasped. Well, half a gasp. Even though the three we had been observing wouldn't have heard me anyway, Kurogane's big hand rushed for my mouth and covered it. I looked at him. He was silently hushing me by putting his finger to his mouth.

He glanced over to the savages quickly, then whispered, "Go!" as loud as he could while flicking his eyes in the direction he wanted me to go: away from the bloody murderers.

I sprinted away, staying light on my feet to reduce noise, even though there was no way I'd be heard as loud as they were laughing.

I ran for about a minute, until I was sure I was far enough away. I was panting heavily, and not completely because of the run. I knew I wouldn't be having Kuro-butt dreams much longer now that I had seen the evil beings that could potentially take me while I'm dreaming about them. No, I'd hope for the best, of course. I do have Kurogane, after all, if they do come. Not that I was scared, but I did want to keep those... _things_ as far away as possible.

_Where is Kurogane?_

As if my heart wasn't beating fast enough already, now I was faced with the idea that the evil beasts caught my dear Kuro-puu! Oh, the thought was too much! However, it didn't sink in because for one, I knew that Kuro could fight, and two, I hadn't heard any screams. It was quiet. Too quie- no! A noise! Leaves rustling dead ahead!

_Please be my Kuro... please be my Kuro-puu!_

He took his sweet time arriving, but it was Kurogane. I sighed heavily with utter relief. I, without thinking, began running towards him. Was I going to jump into his arms or something? Did I expect him to catch me? I had no idea about that, but what I did know was I was happy to see Kurogane, unhurt and completely alive. And sexy.

I slowed as I neared him. I was jogging now, but he had stopped. My brain wouldn't allow me to stop jogging though. Closer and closer I came to him.

_Why aren't I stopping? He's right in front of-_

"Oof!" I had slammed into his chest, totally by accident. And to my surprise, he did not pull away from me, with my arms now at my side, and my head turned up so I was looking at him.

"Pay attention, Fluorite!" he dictated. As he did so, one of his arms wrapped around the middle of my back and he pointed at my face.

_He's holding me!_

My subconscious told my hand to find his chest. It obeyed, and afterward, it rested there. Kuro didn't flinch or change expression, and I continued to make eye contact.

He spoke. "Now that we know what we're dealing with here on this island, you are not allowed to go out here alone, understand? If you wake up and find me gone, stay put, and know I won't be away for very long." He was very sincere, I could tell. And I was delighted to know that he was very concerned for my safety.

"Awwww! Kuro-sweetie cares!" I said with an enormous grin and also shifting my weight forward toward Kurogane. He reacted by growling and tightening his grip on my back.

"Shut up. I don't have time to save your ass if you get yourself caught! And you know the kid, the princess, _and _the pork-bun will not be pleased if I had to tell them you were eaten."

"You have a point, but I still know that deep down inside you care, Kuro-tan!" I squealed. I sounded like a schoolgirl going gaga over the guy she has a crush on. Well, half of that was accurate.

He didn't deny it. He grunted, unhanded me, and began the lengthy journey back to our campsite. I bouncily followed.

"Also," Kurogane said after a few minutes, "we won't be able to have so much freedom anymore. The night fires have to stop. I'm surprised we weren't spotted yesterday and killed right then! And we have got to be more quiet. Our voices will carry if either one of us yells." He turned to me and I nodded my approval of the new rules.

We were silent until I announced to him that I was thirsty. He was also thirsty. We headed for the stream, which added a lot of time to our trip. The savages were really far away, which was, of course, a positive thing, but we had wasted nearly the entire day. Soon, the sun would be setting. However, it was worth it. Not seeing those cannibals, but the reason I slept in late. I got to see one of my best fantasies come to life before my closed eyes _and_ I got to see the real, live, touchable, probably very firm, butt of Kurogane. I was quite aware that the fantasy would never even come close to being a reality, and that I saw Kurogane's fanny purely by wonderful accident, but when I think of the savage cannibals or when I'm feeling sad, I can simply remember my favourite things and then I won't feel so bad!

Kurogane and I were both tired from the very long walk. We decided to rest at the stream while we drank our fill.

"Kuro-pii..." I said softly.

"That ain't my name," he told me a lot quieter than he normally would.

Ignoring him as usual, I proceeded. "It's getting late."

He looked to the west and saw that the sky was beginning to put the sun away for the day.

"Yeah?" he said indifferently.

"Shouldn't we be heading back before it gets dark?"

"You were the one who wanted to take a break." True, but I protested.

"Not a _long_ break! Just a quick drink!" I actually was contradicting myself. Earlier, I had been complaining about aching feet, but I thought Kuro-trooper wouldn't want to stick around anyway. The longer we spent there, the closer to night time it would get. Again, not scared, but I didn't want to have to find my way around in the dark. Then again... this could work to my advantage...

"Why do you want to get back so badly? My feet are a little pained themselves, and we still have a ways to go, but plenty of time. But why do you need to go back right now?"

I thought it would be obvious why I would want to be close to our camp where the spear, our only weapon, was. Perhaps he wanted me to admit I was scared so he could make fun of me for being a coward, even though I'm not. But luckily, he doesn't know that.

When I didn't answer, Kuro changed the subject.

"I'm sure the kid and the princess aren't with the cannibals. The kid wouldn't allow her or himself to be taken by them. Plus, they said themselves that they haven't seen other people in a while. However, this is a big island and there are many places they could be." He was now looking at the mountains. I began to panic.

_What if he knows they're behind the mountain? No... if he knew, we would have reunited with them by now. He can't be doing what I'm doing, pretending not to know where they are so that he can spend time alone with me._

"Where do you think they are?" I asked, attempting to figure out just how much he knew.

"They could be anywhere, except where we are." His reply didn't really help me. "Way up north, the deep south, hell, they could even be far east!" Far east was through the mountain.

"You think they could be on the other side of the mountain?" I decided to be direct.

"Doubt it," he said after a few moments.

I heaved a sigh of relief inside, and said, "I agree, now can we please hurry up and get back? The sun is setting faster than you think, Kuro-tan!" It actually was.

"Alright, we can go as soon as you make a basket to carry water back in. I drank the inventory earlier."

With very little protest, but a lot of mess-ups, I managed to weave and fill a palm leaf basket by my fifth try.

"Do they normally take this much trouble?"

"No... there! Done! Filled! Let's go!" I was no longer asking, I was commanding, and Kuro-sama didn't protest. But I have to wonder why he kept me at the stream for so long. Had he forgotten the bloodthirsty killers lurking around? Or was there some other reason? It would be very dark in a half hour or less. I was speed walking with the basket of water while Kuro was at a normal pace, maybe even a little slower.

"Kuro-slowpoke, do you want the savage cannibals to find us?"

"No, which is why I'm not shouting! Shhh!" he said, shushing me. It was as if we had switched roles. I didn't say anything else, I just kept walking ahead of him. I had an idea.

Before I knew it, darkness had beset the island. I could no longer see clearly. Thankfully, the moon was shining brightly, but it was only about half of what it could be.

"Kuro!" I called as loudly as I dared to. I had gotten way ahead of Kurogane in my haste to return to the hammock. I walked in a random direction, slowly, stealthily, and silently.

"Kurog-" My head hit something and I stumbled backwards, spilling a little of the water on myself.

"Kurogane?" I called. No answer. I had hit a tree, I concluded.

_I have got to be more careful!_ I thought. No sooner, I hit another tree, and the water went flying backward. I don't even know where it landed.

"Owowowowowwwww!" I cried, grasping my forehead. Next, someone grasped my wrist and I cried out again.

"Shhhh!" Kurogane pulled me up and, somehow, put his finger to my lips in the dark. Then he proceeded to grab my back in the same place as before.

"Quiet, idiot!"

If he hadn't made some audio indication of who he was, I would have been scared to death. Why had he let this happen? Why had he let it get so dark? Was this his idea of a sick joke? He wanted me to be scared, but I wasn't. I was cold, and I could tell he was as well. Unfortunately, the coats were not with us. Fortunately, the cold brought us together, physically at least, which was quite nice.

"Calm down," he said quietly. My breathing began to slow. I touched Kurogane's chest again.

"Kurogane..." I put on my serious voice and face, even though he probably couldn't see. "Take me back." It was only after I said this did I realize how wrong it must have sounded. He realized it too, and he snickered.

"Scared, Fluorite?"

I didn't answer him. He laughed again.

"You think I'd let the cannibals eat you?" he asked me. I wasn't sure if the question was rhetorical or not, but either way, it was comforting. A silence passed us. He still held me. He broke the silence.

"How's your head?"

It was hurting.

"Headache," I said shortly.

A couple seconds later, Kurogane took the empty water bowl from me and his other hand grabbed the other side of me and picked me up like a sack of potatoes and swung me over his shoulder. This action shocked and "excited" me. I hoped he wasn't being poked enough to be able to tell before I regained control. I don't think he did.

Kurogane seemed to know exactly where he was going. We were back to the beach in a matter of minutes. In a few more, we found the hammock in the moonlight.

Kurogane stopped walking, put the basket down, and attempted to pull me off of his shoulder. He half-succeeded. He (accidentally?) pulled down my pants a little when he dropped me down. Not enough to reveal anything, though. Even if he had, it was pitch dark dark, save for the moonlight.

I looked up at Kurogane. I could see very little of his face. "Why did we take so long getting back?" I asked with a slight quiver, from the cold and from fake fear.

"Why do you ask?" He obviously wanted me to admit that I was frightened. Sure, he already thought so, but he wanted to hear it from me. And I decided to give him exactly what he wanted.

"I... I'm afr-... I'm scared that the cannibals are going to find me. Then eat me. I don't want to be eaten! But... there's no way to stop them if they sneak up behind me in the night and take me away... You'd never even know until the next morning, and my flesh would be long gone."

I was really laying it on thick. I had no problem acting scared, just to set in motion another plan that I had. Sure, I didn't want to be eaten, but I did long for death. However, ever since I landed with Kurogane on this island, that wish had been quickly fading away into a mere memory. The only thing that gave my life any real meaning was helping Princess Sakura and retrieve her lost memories in the form of feathers, but more importantly, Kurogane. And if he didn't love me back, that would make life even less worthless than it already was. But I had hope for us, and I had hope for my plan.

Kurogane took a moment to reply to my pitiful indirect plea for him to say that he would protect me. His response was silent and in the form of an action. He swiftly scooped me up by knocking me down with one arm, that when he was through, supported me under my knees as he carried me like a bride, and the other muscular limb caught me from falling and wrapped around my shoulders. He then proceeded to lay me gently on the leaf bed, picked up my coats, walked around to the other side, draped both coats over my body, ending my frozen state, and climbed into the hammock beside me on his side, taking some of the coats for himself.

"Now if the cannibals do come, we'll both know." He did all this without missing a beat. I was impressed with both him and me. Him for responding so nicely and me for my wonderful plan.

But, he wasn't yet touching me. Time to work my Fai-manin charm!

"That's true. But I do wish we would have gotten here sooner... I wish we could have moved north, farther away from the..." I decided not to finish the sentence for dramatic effect. It worked. Extremely well. Kurogane took one hand to my face, laid his thumb on my cheek, and gently stroked it. Was this the softie side of my Kuro-puu? I think so! I tried to keep from grinning too much. I allowed myself a small, cute smile. I flipped from my back to my side, facing him.

"It's too dark to move right now. Tomorrow."

Now Kuro's hand moved into the covers very slowly. He moved his hand along the side of my body. His eyes examined me and his hand stopped aligned with my belly button. I decided to shiver a little, but I didn't get the intended reaction. Kurogane's hand flew back off of me, and his facial expression changed to a guilty one.

"I won't... uh... if you're... not... uhh-" I put my finger to his lips.

"I'm cold," I said slowly to clarify.

"Oh," Kurogane calmed down. I laid still as Kurogane considered his next move. He put his hand back on my side, and this time, pulled me closer. I tried to control my excitement, _for the third time today!_, but it was hard with Kurogane's face in mine.

I reached my hand out to his chest one again. I loved doing that. I could tell he loved it too. This time though, I decided to add a little more spice to it by inching forward a little myself and rubbing him down. We laid there, one hand on each other, staring into each other's eyes with small smiles on each of our faces until sleep took us both.

* * *

**WAY LATER EDIT: Y'know... I was not that bad at writing when I was in 10th grade! This is not bad at all, save for a few typos and grammatical mistakes. I see why people responded so well to this now! Thanks, guys! :D**


	4. Day Four

**Yesterday's Happenings...**

Fai wakes up while Kurogane is taking a bath in the water. He must close his eyes before the ocean reveals the front of Kurogane's lower half, but Fai did see his butt, wet hair, bare chest, and back. And he liked it. Fai falls back asleep, and dreams of a very mushy, lovey Kurogane. He almost gets his first kiss, but he is awakened by a scream from the real Kurogane, who had fallen into the same rope trap Fai had fallen in the day before. The two go south, where after a while of walking, they hear and see what they come to know as the "cannibal savages". They don't see Sakura or Syaoran with them though. Kurogane takes Fai and tells him to never go off alone, just in case. The thirsty islanders stop by the stream on the way back, and spend quite a lot of time there. A little more time than Fai would have liked, but he uses it to his advantage. Fai decides to act as though he is afraid of the savages so that Kurogane will comfort him. Fai bumps his head in the dark jungle once night falls, and Kurogane carries him back to the hammock like a sack of potatoes. Kurogane sleeps next to Fai so "Now if the cannibals do come, [they'll] both know". Fai works the situation so that Kurogane ends up stroking his cheek then the side of Fai's body. Fai puts his hand on Kurogane's pecs. Kurogane pulls Fai closer. They laid there, one hand on each other, staring into each other's eyes with small smiles on each of their faces until sleep took them both.

Warning: FLUFF EXPLOSIONS AHEAD! While I was writing, fluffs were coming out of my pen, and my notebook started growing fluffy puff balls that began singing to me. Hahaha, I'm kidding. But do heed the Fluff Warning.

**Day Four**

"Hey, sexy thing. Wanna do it?" Kurogane begins walking toward me.

"Sure, Kuro-horny! But I'm the seme!"

Kurogane reaches me and takes me at the waist with one hand and takes me at the face with the other. He chuckles.

"Haha... very funny..." He begins closing our face gap, but I jump back, ripping myself from him.

"No! I'm seme this time, Kur-uke!" I push him to the sand, where he lands on his bottom. I mount him and begin biting his neck. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his pants zipper and I use one hand to grasp it while the other clenches his hair tightly. It takes a few seconds to undo the zipper with an unreasonably huge bulge in the way.

In a few seconds time, Kurogane retaliates. In one swift motion, he flips over on top of me, I release his hair and neck, and he rips open my only shirt. Even with the sand getting on me, he begins to lick away, from my belly button up.

While this is going on, I calm myself down enough to rip his shirt a little.

"What are you doing?" he asks me, stopping his licks.

"Being seme!" I say very simply, finishing the rip in his shirt. I begin unzipping his pants again after the shirt comes off. He allows it. Once his pants are off, I toss them behind me and I can see Mount Everest in his boxers. I handle the mountain a little before attempting to remove his boxers. He stops me.

"Let me take off your pants too."

Since he had allowed me to remove his, I allow him to remove mine. He takes his sweet time, rubbing me down, grabbing my butt.

"I'll be easier to touch without these clothes on."

That speeds him up, but he maintains the same level of intensity.

My pants hit the ground and he wraps his arms around me from the back and begins humping furiously. I almost fly forward, he's thrusting so hard.

"Kur-... Ku-... ro-..."

He just thrusts even harder as I struggle to pronounce his name. He lets me go before humping one more time so that I fall to the sand. He flips me over so that I'm face up and sits on me in such a way that the only thing between our lusting erections are increasingly wetter pieces of cloth, our boxer shorts. He pins me down with one strong arm and fondles me all over with the other. Somehow, I can't move. At all. All I can do is shout, "No! I'm the seme!" as Kurogane and his tongue navigate regions of my body I didn't even know existed.

"No, I'm seme!"

Kurogane sucks at and twists my nipples with his teeth.

"No, I'm seme!"

Kurogane bites my neck and breathes heavily into my ear.

"No, I'm seme!"

Kurogane licks at me some more.

"No, I'm seme!"

Kurogane ( use your fangirl imagination ).

"No, I'm seme!"

Kurogane readjusts his seating position.

"No, I'm seme!"

Kurogane strokes my sausage and begins unbuttoning me.

"NO! I'm seme!

With that last scream, I jerked forward and upright in the hammock, out of the dream.

"What the hell were you talking about, 'I'm seme, I'm seme!'?" Kurogane asked from right next to me.

I touched my head and began to recall the dream. As I remembered more, my eyes widened and so did Kurogane's as he sat next to me in the hammock.

"Well?" he asked, getting impatient.

Now that I remembered every single sexy detail of the dream, I could not possibly disclose the very erotic night-fantasy to Kurogane, especially since he was a main character.

Could I lie again and say it was someone who it wasn't? No, I already lied about being scared last night, which helped me get Kurogane to sleep next to me, stroke my side, and let me a chance to pat him on the chest for longer than a minute. As much as I knew I could lie very convincingly without Kurogane ever knowing, I decided to tell as few lies as possible. After all, a relationship is nothing without trust. Well, not necessarily that kind of relationship... even just friendships. But I still did not want to tell him about the dream, especially since I felt Kurogane didn't really care about me enough not to laugh or get creeped out. Last night... that was just an instinctive reaction of Kuro to the cold. Body heat can remedy the frigid island.

"Are you going to tell me about the dream or not?" Now he was even more impatient, almost to the scary point. There was only one thing to do.

"Oh, the dream was nothing, Kuro-grumpy!"

"Don't screw with my name this early in the morning, and no dream where you scream, 'I'm seme, no I'm seme' is nothing."

"Kuro-nosy, my dreams are private!" Gosh, if only he knew not to ask. I hid my awkwardness behind big smiles, like always.

Kurogane took a big breath. "Alright, what's her name?"

"Pardon?" I was little confused.

"Her name, idiot. Is she from your home dimension?"

He didn't give me a chance to answer before he added: "That would explain, to a certain degree, why you don't want to return."

The reason I wanted to stay as far from my dimension as possible had nothing to do with a girl. I won't get into all the details now, but if you want to know them, there is a nice manga by the name of Tsubasa that will tell you all about it.

"Oh, Kuro-rin, don't worry about it!" I said with a smile.

"No, really-"

"Don't... worry about it," I interrupted. I continued before he could ask again. "Did I wake you up, Kuro-rin? I'll make us breakfast!"

I quickly climbed out of the hammock and stretched. I touched my toes before realizing I had my back (and butt) to Kurogane. I stayed bent a little longer, just in case Kuro was watching, before standing straight, turning around, and walking into the jungle. I saw Kurogane, who was still on the hammock, looking at me as I left.

I was in the mood for coconuts this morning and I figured we could split a few, drink the milk, and eat whatever was inside. I took two for each of us and carried them in my arms back to the beach. When I got back, Kurogane was gone. I had no idea where he went until I saw some writing in the sand. Kurogane had drawn three symbols in the sand. A teardrop shape, which I suppose meant he went to get water, a weird leaf-shaped thing, and a lopsided cylinder. He's getting leaves and... huh? Haha, oh, my Kuro-pon is no artist.

Since he would probably be gone for a while, I decided to take a bath in the ocean like he did yesterday. I was starting to smell like island. If he did come back while I was unclothed, that would be alright, actually. I've always wondered what he would say/do on the spot like that.

First, I looked and listened. I detected no sign of Kurogane approaching and began to undress. I started with my shirt and ended with my underwear. It was quite nice, actually, to be nude on the beach. I didn't stick around, though. I got into the water up to my stomach and was warmed by the ocean. I began to bathe.

It was a very relaxing experience. I let the sun beat down upon my face as I backstroked and swam once I was clean. I had no idea, nor did I care, how long I was in there, but when I did finally decide to wrap it up, I also decided to quickly wash my clothes first. I sprinted onto the beach where my clothes were, picked them up and leaped back into the ocean.

I splashed back into the water, laid my dirty clothes on a protruding rock, and began scrubbing my shirt. Mere seconds later, Kurogane returned fully loaded down with two baskets of water in his hands, timber under his arms and some leaves draped over his head that made him appear to have a green wig. I giggled at his very awkward appearance as he released the branches from his armpits, carefully set down the water bowls, and removed the leaves from his head leaving just his black, now only semi-spiky hair.

"Hey, idiot?" he called. I stayed silent as he scanned the beach for me. He walked toward the water, then stopped at the shore, then found me. "Oh, there you are," he said as he walked in my direction, but stayed on the sand and out of the water.

I decided to have fun with this situation.

"Oh, Kuro-pipi! Don't look at me, I'm indecent! I don't want you to see my unmentionables!" I said dramatically as I grabbed my shirt to cover myself.

"You don't have... unmentionables!" he told me.

"Hmmm... that might be, but you know you want some of this," I said seductively rubbing the ocean-wet shirt all over my body and making provocative facial expressions.

"Oh, you read my mind," he said, equally as seductively.

Woah, he's playing along? It was obvious that I was acting, probably over-acting, but I did not expect this! Let's see how far we can take this.

"Did I, Kuro? Did, I Kuro-peeky?" Well, if you get to see all this," I stopped covering myself. "...what do _I_ get to see?"

Kurogane laughed naughtily and began to remove his shirt.

_Seriously? Is he serious?_

After revealing what was under his shirt, he stared me down, waiting for me to say or do something.

_I think he might be serious! I was just joking! But I can't back down now..._

"Mmmmm, that _is_ Kuro-sexy. But you and I both know you've only won half the battle. Let's see you win the whole war."

I looked him over to imply that I was talking about his pants. He took the hint and began undressing further.

_Oh my go- he's obeying? He's obeying! Do I get to see the legendary Kuro-nana-banana at last? And not by accident either?_

Kurogane pulled off his pantalones and stepped into the water. He walked slowly towards me, boxers on and wet.

_Does he know that I'm wearing nothing?_

I didn't know what to do so I just stood there, frozen, only being moved by the ocean, while I was staring at him.

"What?"

I must have had an odd facial expression on. Surely he wouldn't have come here if he knew I was totally nude. He wasn't interested in me that way... no matter how much I was in him. Well, he _was_ still playing along. Why should I stop all of a sudden?

"Nothing, Kuro! It's just... how you look so much buffer up close!"

A wave splashed my back and sprayed water on Kurogane, wetting his hair a little and his body a lot. The waves were calm here today.

Kurogane laughed a little. His dripping six pack beckoned me forward. Or was it the waves inching me forward? In either case, I needed to be close to Kurogane, but I doubt he'd want to be close to me if he had seen my boxers in plain sight on the rock with my pants and socks.

"I like, I like."

I continued to play along, and so did he, until he walked a few more steps closer to me and my smile began to wane as scenes ran through my mind about what he would say when he realized I was naked.

"_What the hell, Fluorite, what the hell?"_

"_You think this is cute or something? Grrahhh, why didn't you tell me?"_

"_What the hell were you thinking?"_

"_Look, if you were thinking that we were-"_

"Oh!" I wasn't even paying attention to the real Kurogane, who was now standing a foot in front of me with his hand on the small of my back. The Kuro-angry I was imagining disappeared as Kuro-real pulled me forward.

I freaked out and froze. It all seemed to be going in slow motion as Kurogane's body neared mine.

All of a sudden, he jerked me forward and everything below my sternum and above my knee was pressed against him. I watched him carefully while also trying to control myself. He was smiling one of those Kuro-smiles, not the big kind, the sly kind. Had he not noticed?

Nope, he had. Suddenly he pulled away from me and frantically began to search in the water. Like an animal he dove into the water and swam past me.

_Oh no. Oh. No! He felt it! And now he's trying to clean himself off! Gosh, I need more self-control..._

I kinda just stood there, idle, as Kurogane came up for air then dove back in.

I decided to put my boxers back on just in case. He didn't see me wade back to my rock of clothes or slip back on my shorts.

"I caught it!" Kurogane suddenly shouted, and I turned to his direction. He was swimming toward me in an awkward fashion.

"I'm not sure what kind it is, but I bet it'll taste delicious!"

_Ohhhhh..._

I started putting the pieces together in my mind. The fish was the reason he pulled away, and he had caught that fish. Kurogane began walking to shore and I decided my clothes were clean enough, even though I barely touched them.

"I just caught some dinner!"

"But Kuro-pon! If we make a fire, we will be easily spotted!" I warned as I carried my clothes and myself to the beach.

"That's why we aren't using a fire,"

"What do you mean?" I was a bit confused.

"We're having rice-less sushi," he stated.

"Kuro! Sushi is icky!" I don't like sushi. "Can't we cook the fish?"

"You just said you didn't want to build a fire. You _are_ the one afraid of the savages after all."

That's true. Well, sort of. Though I couldn't believe Kurogane actually fell for the whole, "I'm afraid!" thing. He knows I can fight. Not as well as he can, but I'm no wimp. If this act doesn't work, not only will Kuro think I'm a good-for-nothing puny magician who refuses to use magic, I'll be a brokenhearted magician who refuses to use magic. I'd keep up the charade, while still retaining my dignity. ...Not an easy task.

"I'm sure a quick, small fire won't hurt. They _are_ pretty far away."

I was now on the dry sand. I decided to wait until my pants were dry to get dressed.

Kurogane had set the fish down on a palm leaf and went back in the ocean for more. He's so cool, catching fish in the ocean with his bare hands. He didn't even use the spear or try making a net out of leaves. Either he hadn't thought of those things or he was just trying to show off his awesomeness. Whichever it was, I wasn't going to stop him. It wasn't everyday I got to watch him splashing around shirtless.

I sparked the smallest fire I could, trying to keep the smoke to a minimum, and before I knew it, Kurogane had caught more fish. He was exhausted and had to stop fishing.

"Phew! That was a real workout! And now to reap the rewards... Go ahead and cook your three fish."

There were only five, an unequal amount.

"What?"

"Hurry up and cook your three fish!" he said impatiently.

"Three? You'll only have two!"

"I know that, I can count."

"Aww! Thanks Kuro-sweetie! Kuro-sweetie is so giving!"

He growled.

"Stop screwing with my name and cook the damn fish!"

I followed his command and stuck the fish on a stick like a fish-kabab and used four other sticks to make two stands to mount it on. Once I was done, and only had the waiting and eating left to do, I sat and watched Kurogane finish preparing his rice-less sushi, wondering if he was one of the people in the world who can detect stares. He looked up at me, then back at his work. When he looked up a second time, he spoke.

"What are you staring at?"

I decided to answer the same answer as last time.

"Why, you, Kuro-cutie!"

He hesitated.

"We're done playing that game, idiot," he decided to say.

So, he thought it was a game, did he? I suppose it was, except Kurogane took it too far. _Way_ too far. Almost to the point where I thought he was serious. Would Kurogane thrust me forward into his body if he were joking?

I giggled in response.

"And stop laughing like that! You sound like a girl."

"And do you not like girls?" I giggled.

"I... Shut up," he told me.

I often wondered if I could ever be so lucky to discover that Kurogane is gay. I'd always hoped that tough, masculine, and sexy outward appearance masked beneath it a sweet, and genuinely caring centre that longed for the touch and love of another man. I tried not to keep my hopes up because of all the evidence against his potential affection for me. However, lately at least, I've noticed some... lust? Or was this love? Or was he just messing with me? Was he that cruel? Is he aware of my incredibly strong feelings? Ah, so many questions...

I actually shut up this time and just watched my fish cooking and the clouds passing by. I stole a quick glance at Kurogane every once in awhile. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until the cooked fish smell began to enter my nose. I remembered that I hadn't eaten the coconuts from earlier. Probably should have, but I had opted to take a bath instead.

My fish were done cooking when Kurogane was done eating.

"Hurry up and put out the fire. It's getting late."

I doused the flame with sand and put my fish on leaf-plates.

Kurogane and I were still half-naked, with only our boxers to cover ourselves. It wasn't cold yet, but the sun was beginning to set. It looked like it'd be a very pretty display tonight.

"I'm going for a walk," Kuro announced.

I acknowledged him with a, "Goodbye!" and a wave. He walked to the shore and began walking north. I began to eat my dinner.

Cooking is one of my specialties, so even though many steps in preparing fish were skipped, it was still a decent meal. I was full after eating and decided to see what Kurogane was up to. I went to the edge of the beach to begin following his footprints. I could hear him before I could see him.

"Gah... Why can't I... just be...?" The last few words were lost in a gust of wind. What was he talking about? I stopped walking to listen, but he didn't say anything more. I continued to walk forward until I could see him. He was standing up, facing the ocean, with his hands on the back of his head. I approached. He didn't move nor mumble as I neared him.

"Hi, Kuro," I said.

"Hey," he replied without moving.

"Is there... something wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he told me sternly.

"Maybe I can hel-"

"Get your hands off me."

I had reached out to touch him on the back, but he pulled away as soon as my fingers made contact with his back. I shrunk back out of hurt, and a little bit of fear. I said nothing.

"Sorry. It's just..." he started after a while.

"Yes?" I egged him on.

"I'm... confused about some things," he confessed.

"What things?" I asked him in a comforting and curious tone.

He sighed in reply. I knew Kurogane did not like to look weak or vulnerable. I wouldn't force him to tell me what was wrong, but I wanted to be there for him.

"I won't force you to tell me what was wrong, but I want to be there for you."

I reached out to touch Kurogane's back. He didn't pull away this time. He didn't do anything.

"But, know that you can tell me anything, Kuro-puu!" I said, trying to lighten him up.

"That is _not_ my name! I don't know what is so hard about saying 'Kurogane!'"

"Oh, you know I'm just messing with you and trying to lighten the mood, Kuro-angry!"

"Messing with me? Hey, Kuro-angry? I'm not angry, I just wish you'd call me by my name!"

"But it's fun to mess with you!" I said.

"I call you by your name, Fluorite. Well, sometimes at least," he added the last bit, probably knowing that if he didn't, I would have to.

"Yeah, sometimes!" I repeated, stepping closer to Kurogane. "My name is not Idiot, Kuro-confused!"

"And my name is not Kuro-confused, Idiot!" He wasn't moving away from me. In fact, he was moving closer.

"And I just said my name wasn't Idiot," I said to his face.

"Then what do I call you?" he asked me, turning my head up with one strong finger so his eyes and mine were connected.

I gave him a small smile. "Well, if you keep this up, whatever you want to," I said a bit more seductively than I meant to, but with all the passion I felt.

Kurogane laughed a little. "I like that answer," he said, while lowering his eyes.

His responses were making my knees weak. I looked out toward the horizon, and I saw my absolute favourite type of sunset. The kind where the entire sky turns a deep, vivid red.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I asked abstractedly and rhetorically. Even though a reply wasn't expected I got one of those affirmative Hmm's and I turned back to look at him. I had to do a double take.

"What?"

"Your eyes... the sunset...!"

I advanced on Kurogane. One hand was still on the middle of his back and the other touched his heart as I looked into his eyes.

"Your eyes perfectly resemble that sunset," I told him quietly, still gazing intently into him.

"Hm. Do they?" he turned his head so that he could see it. At the same time, he clumsily reached for my back and missed. I laughed my usual girly giggle.

"Shut up and watch my eyes set," he said as he took my waist with one hand and used the other to lay my head on his chest. He played with my hair a little. This was a dream of mine, and I was living it. Me against him, him holding me, us together, watching the sun set. For a while we, or I at least, just relished in the moment, adoring every second, until Kurogane sighed heavily. His hot breath got all in my hair. He unhanded me.

"What is it?" I asked, disheartened, as he turned to go back to the camp.

"Nothing. We just should be heading back. You know, before it gets dark."

I didn't want our moment to end so abruptly.

"Wait, Kuro," I turned face him. He didn't turn around, but he stopped walking to show he was listening. "Couldn't we just... stay a little longer." Grammatically, it should have been a question, but I said it as somewhat of a command. I watched Kurogane for some sort of response, and for a minute, he did nothing.

Almost out of nowhere, he turned and ran at me. I was scooped up off the ground into Kurogane's arms and instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his middle and my arms around his neck. On the same impulse, he again took me at the waist and at the face. I couldn't help but grin uncontrollably. Over half of my smiles were fake. I would cover up my sorrows with false happiness. There was nothing even remotely false about this first-in-an-eternity bliss. Kurogane was holding and looking up at me with a look of satisfaction and half-lidded sunsets. The real sunset was almost gone, but I felt that even if I never saw another red sunset for as long as I lived, I would always be able to connect with Kurogane's eyes.

I ran my fingers through his hair, which was overwhelmingly soft. He stroked my blushing cheek with his thumb like in my dream and his other fingers gently gripped my hair. I'm surprised I was able to stay calm down there and not stab Kurogane in the belly button while he was rubbing my bare back. We were both still only wearing boxers, but despite the changing temperature, I wasn't at all cold, and I don't think he was either.

"My legs are starting to hurt," I leaned in closely to whisper.

Kurogane unhanded my face and gripped my side to provide support and help me down. Not once did we break eye contact. In fact, we got closer. He craned his neck forward and I stood on tip toes. One hand behind his shoulder, and the other, guess where? No, not his crotch, his pecs. We're not there yet. But this was a pretty _good_ start. Evidently Kurogane _was_ gay, he _did_ like me back, and he _did_ want to be with me. This was fantastic!

We continued to close the space between us little by little. I pressed myself against him and he brought me even closer by wrapping a leg around me slightly. It was about to happen.

But it didn't. We heard screaming and yelling and shouting. Kurogane quickly unhanded and unlegged me and spun around to the direction of the noise, the direction of our camp. Before, we only saw three. It sounded like three hundred approaching.

"Savages," Kuro said quietly. He whipped around, grabbed my hand, and took off in the water so we wouldn't leave tracks. We did splash, but there was no way those cannibals would hear us over their battle cries. We fled north until not a speck of daylight was left. I could barely see since the moon wasn't out quite yet.

Our palms were sweaty and our feet were wet, but the rest of me was dry. Good thing, because it was now very cold. Perhaps the coldest night so far. That, or it was because I was wearing nothing but shorts. Kurogane let go of my hand and tried to stop panting so he could hear. I listened too. I couldn't hear anything, but I was shivering, and not intentionally.

I stopped instantly when Kurogane's arm slid around me from the back. He led me to a thick tree on the edge of the jungle where he situated me in his lap between his legs with a hand across my lower stomach. Then I got comfortable. I turned onto my side and laid my head and hand on his chest. He adjusted with me, placing his hand on the side of my hip and he lifted my chin up even though I could barely see his handsome face. I spoke first.

"My coats... the spear... our pants!" I listed things that we needed that we didn't have because they were left back at the campsite.

"Tomorrow," he said. "Early tomorrow morning we can go back for our things." He placed his hand on my head.

"Okay," I responded quietly and I put my head back down.

"Good night, Kuro," I whispered, and I closed my eyes.

I couldn't sleep, even though I was tired. Maybe it was the cold, or the excitement of the day, or how Kurogane's warm body felt to lay on and how his steady heartbeat felt under my light touch.

Kurogane's heart rate picked up a little speed as he bent his neck down to kiss me sweetly on the hair. Did he think I was asleep? I wasn't, so I hadn't missed it. And I rubbed on his chest to show it. His heart rate sped up even more. He wrapped another arm around me to secure more warmth and pulled me closer. And right there, I enjoyed the best pre-sleep in all my years with my first and only choice of lover, my Kuro-mantic. And it was not a dream.

* * *

**WAY LATER EDIT: How cute. :3 This is so cute! XD**


	5. Day Five

First of all, thank you SO MUCH to all who have been helping me with encouraging comments and reviews! I think we all know deep down inside that they help. A lot. No reason to try and hide or deny it. Reviews are wonderful things and I will totally not mind getting a bunch more feedback. Second of all, sorry it's been, like, a month since I've uploaded a day. As I type, it is nearly 2 AM, but I couldn't stand to leave this unpublished for another day, so I finished and here is the result! I hope you like!

**Wait, what happened again?**

Fai has a very odd dream where he and Kurogane are about to have dirty, dirty beach sex, but neither would give up the dominant position of seme. Kurogane pins Fai while Fai screams, "No, I'm seme!" Consequently, Fai wakes up before dream Kurogane rapes him and sees the real Kurogane in the hammock, asking what the dream was all about since Fai was sleep-talking. Kuro-puu has incredible curiosity, but Fai is reluctant to tell him. He leaves to get food. Fai gets breakfast then decides to take a bath since no one is around. Before Kurogane returns, Fai also decides to wash his clothes. Kurogane comes back and they play a little flirtatious game before Kurogane thrusts a naked Fai into him, then quickly swims away when he feels a fish brush past him. Fai thought Kuro felt his little "fish" and was ashamed he let himself poke him once again. Then he figured out that Kurogane was after a fish, not running from him. Kuro caught five fish altogether and let Fai have three. Kurogane left while Fai cooked and ate his fish. Fai finds him later on, away from the campsite, seemingly unhappy. He says he is confused, and takes a little while to let Fai touch and comfort him. It very soon escalates into Fai with his head on Kurogane's chest and Kurogane holding Fai while they watch the red sunset that Fai compares to Kurogane's eyes. Kurogane suddenly pulls away, but Fai brings him back. They get _tttthhhhiiiiissss_ close to kissing, but they hear about three hundred or so savages approaching. They flee to the northern part of the island, but they don't go down without a sweet moment. Kurogane lets Fai sleep on him in his arms and gives him a kiss on the head before they drift off to sleep.

The summary was a bit quick if you don't remember what happened. The details are the good stuff. I'd skim over Day Four if I were you.

**Day Five**

I yawned myself awake. I opened my eyes for a wonderful view of both the ocean and Kurogane's buff body. I still was in the same position with Kuro's arms as blankets. My hand, however, had fallen into his lap. OH! _Way _into his lap! I didn't want to explore _too_ much of what was in his boxers... or did I? Yes, I did! He didn't know I was awake yet. Time for Fake Sleep : Part Two!

I began to twist onto my stomach so it would seem like I was inadvertently pressing down. Not hard, I didn't want to hurt him, but enough. Good thing my hair covered my face from Kurogane's angle, because I was smiling due to being very pleased with the length of Kurogane's third leg, and Kurogane fidgeted. He didn't do anything else, but I did! Once I felt satisfied with that position, I moved slightly to get another angle.

"Nyhh..."

Was that a moan of discomfort or pleasure? Either way, I was quite enjoying this, but I didn't want it to become obvious that I was doing this on purpose. I sat with my hand on Kuro's thing while he remained quiet, but I could tell he was tense. His stomach muscles had contracted and his heart was pumping faster, but he did not move his arms. That helped me believe he didn't want to disturb me, his "sleeping" lover.

Okay, enough was enough. Time to finish off and wake up.

I unhanded Kurogane, moved my hand up to his abdomen, and looked up at him with my eyes wide open. He looked back at me with an expressionless face.

"Good morning, Kuro-pii," I said calmly.

"Hey. How'd you sleep?" he asked me nicely, shockingly not reacting to the nickname.

"Hmmm..." I ran (well, walked rather, because it was slower) my hands from his abs up to his neck and pulled myself forward so that our noses were close to touching. "I've never been more comfortable," I said genuinely with a genuine smile. "So, what do you want to do today?"

I expected him to hint at some romantic bonding activity, which was pretty much all I felt like doing.

"Well, first things first, we need to go back to our original spot to check and see what's still there."

_Oh yeah..._

In the midst of all the Kuro-ness, I had plain forgotten about the very reason we'd gotten this far. I almost wanted to thank the savage cannibals, but even more, I wanted to strangle every last one with my bare hands for their horrible timing. That was supposed to be my first kiss, _our_ first kiss! It was all perfect and they _had_ to ruin it! Our next opportunity better be freakin' special!

"I hope they didn't take all of your hard work,"

"And I hope they didn't take all of our clothes!"

"Who needs clothes?" I laughed and pulled myself closer so I was mashed against him.

He smiled a little, then replied, "We do, at night."

Kurogane decided to get up. Man, was he strong. I still clung to him like a monkey and he, even then, seemingly without much effortl, stood up.

"Mage, are your legs broken?" he asked me.

"Could I wrap them around you if they were?"

"I guess not, but get down. I need to conserve energy just in case we really need it today."

"Aww, Kuro-myuu's no fun!" I cried as I reluctantly got off of him.

"Come on, let's go," he ordered, ignoring the nickname once again as he started for the old campsite spot. I followed.

It seemed as though Kurogane was the only one thinking with his brain, and I was thinking with something else. I admit, all of the things he was saying and doing made complete sense, but who can blame me for wanting to keep last night's flame burning the morning after? I did_ not_ want to have to relight it and I certainly didn't want the wick of our relationship candle to vanish. We have come such a long way in such a short amount of time. If it was all for nothing, all I'd be left with would be a light brown, tall, sexy candle either too expensive to buy, too far to reach, or too lost to find. And after last night's hot experience with that candle, I couldn't bare to have the flame blown out by anything.

We accidentally passed by the old settlement. You know why? Because there was nothing left. Not one thing we previously owned still sat (or hung, in the case of the hammock) on the beach. My coats, our clothes, any food, water, the spear was stolen back, and all of our supplies Kurogane worked so hard to gather were confiscated. We still had sand left, but that was it.

Kurogane sighed heavily and said, "They took everything. Looks like our nights _will_ be cold..."

I sighed as well.

"Maybe the nights are cold... but _last_ night..." I wrapped both my arms around him looked up. "...you kept me warmer than both my coats ever could."

My flirtatious comment made him laugh a little and he hugged me back. The hug would have been longer, but we heard a low rumble.

"My tummy needs some company!" I exclaimed.

"Then let's go get some food."

Kurogane led the way into the trees. We passed mangoes and coconuts, neither of which I had a taste for. Same with the guavas. But as soon as I saw the banana tree, I stopped.

"We're having bananas," I told Kurogane.

"Can't you pick a tree that isn't so high?"

"I already see the exact bunch I want! And all you have to do is catch it. _Please_, Kuro-tan?"

"Fine. Do you need any help getting up?"

"No. Yes." I quickly changed my answer to give him an excuse to touch me. Or give me an excuse to have him touch me. Whichever.

Kurogane chose a very... different way to pick me up. Not that I didn't enjoy every second, but it was still very odd. What he did was he picked me up by the upper thighs, which are dangerously close to my butt. He raised me so that I could climb up the tree trunk.

Once I reached the top of the tree, I clamped my legs together so that I wouldn't fall as I reached for the banana bunches.

"Incoming!" I shouted as I dropped the fruit, which I saw land in Kurogane's hands.

I thought that one bunch might only be enough for one of us, so I repositioned myself to be able to grab more. And as I did so, I tried to multitask and take the bananas. This would have worked had there not been two bugs doing their mating dance right next to me. Not only did they get in my eyes, they both stung me when I shook my head to get them away. The combined pain and shock loosened my limbs and I began to fall down along with the second set of fruit I had managed to take.

The descent made everything seem twice as slow, and the landing, about the same. But once I realized where is was, I entered a complete state of bliss. I hadn't landed on the ground because a pair or tan, brawny arms had caught and held me as I clutched the bananas. The other bunch of fruit had been relinquished to the ground to make room for me. Kurogane looked down at me.

"Kuro-sweetie caught me!" I squeaked as I snuggled up against the man who cradled me.

I know it was the nickname that put him off, but he wasn't _that_ mad. Just slightly annoyed it seemed, but nothing was said about it.

"Are you hurt?" he asked me.

In the awesomeness of the moment, I had forgotten to feel pain. My inner thighs actually hurt. Oh man, a lot. They were bleeding! I had pulled back my shorts to reveal my severely scraped skin. I gasped with Kurogane.

"Oh, shit," he said under his breath. "Come on, we've got to clean these."

I kept my boxers pulled up so they wouldn't get bloody. Under normal circumstances, I would have just let myself bleed, or even made it worse, it if could, but after last night... there would be no more of that. I was going to let Kurogane take care of me and together we would be. Wait, how _would_ he fix this? Would I have to take my shorts off? I had nothing but pure flesh beneath them. Was I really about to be thrust into this situation? Would I soon be thrust into something else?

As we neared the freshwater stream, blood began to form into running trails. I rubbed it off, grinning through the pain, so my hands would become bloody rather than my shorts. Kuro had broken into a run. Well, more of a jog, but he was hurrying. My hands were caked with dried blood by the time we reached the water. Absolutely filthy.

Kurogane quickly picked up some water in a palm leaf to rinse my hands and thighs. He did this repeatedly as I just sat on a rock, still holding back the cloth.

"Pressure helps," Kurogane remembered out loud. He swiftly took charge. Kurogane took new leaves and wrapped them around the circumference of my bloody thighs.

To the outside viewer, I'd imagine that it appears as though Kurogane was trying to straddle me for gratification rather than for medical purposes. I'm not one to do this sort of thing in public, so I was very thankful that no one was watching.

"Teeheeheehee! Well, hello, hello, boys!"

We both snapped around in the direction of the voice. I had spoken too soon. In the water before us was a girl.

"Well, this is a little awkward, isn't it? Did I scare you gays?"

You _gays_? I must say, her gaydar is spot on. Honestly though, even someone with a broken gaydar could just look at the two of us, me with my legs open and shorts pulled back and Kurogane holding them apart, and deduce that we were gay for each other.

"Uhh, who the hell are you exactly?" Kurogane asked.

"Oh, forgive me, I should introduce myself," she apologized in the sort of velvety voice that would have meant for me that she was not sorry at all. However, I had a feeling the this was how she always sounded considering she had also just revealed indisputable evidence that she was not human. Out of the water arose a scaly tail of beautiful azure. I supposed that was the "I am a mermaid" part of her introduction.

"My name is Karolene, and I live here, on, and around the island. I have been aware of your presence ever since the first day you," she nodded toward Kurogane "take a bath in the ocean. I also saw you," she nodded at me now "bathing and swimming some time later. From a _far_ distance of course." The usual velvet of her voice got a little snagged on that last, rushed clarification statement. Rushed though it was, I was glad she still said it. What a great way to be greeted by someone you've never met, being told they've watched you swim naked and touch yourself (for bathing purposes, of course).

"Anyway, I would like to offer some assistance. You." Karolene beckoned me forward with one long, skinny finger. She was like me. Very skinny, but in a more feminine way. I slid forward off the rock once Kurogane let go of me.

I sat before her, looking at her face. I noticed that her eyes were a similar colour to her tail, but with a hint more purple. She began to unwrap the leaves slowly. I didn't know if there was intended seductiveness, but I wasn't feeling any arousal. Why? She is a girl, and Kurogane was right behind me.

I'm not certain that Kurogane knew that, however, because as she undid the makeshift bandages, he inched closer to me, and Karolene couldn't help but laugh.

"You don't think I'm trying to begin anything here, do you? Silly boy, this procedure is for healing purposes only." The wounds were now exposed. "I would never try and take him from you. Trust me." She whispered the last bit and Kurogane grumbled. He wasn't one to publicly show off his significant other, no matter how awesome he was or how cute of a pair they made. I wouldn't be too shocked, or disappointed, if he lied about us. And that's just what he did.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. Okay, it wasn't a direct statement; he was more or less just avoiding hers.

She took one "you know exactly what I'm talking about" look at him and began to work her magic.

A sphere of water began to rise above Karolene's open palm. All three of us stared at it. She made motions to the water ball with her other hand while muttering unfathomable incantations. The ball began to emit a bright light that gave the clear liquid a reddish hue. Using both hands, she guided it to my legs and began to split it in two. One for each leg, I supposed. Yep. One for each leg. I could feel the water slowly applied to me scrapes and get warmer. I watched as the wounds began to close as more red water drenched them. In a matter of seconds, I was healed without so much as a speck of blood left. She had washed away my sores.

"Thank you very much, young maiden," I said graciously, but she had turned to Kurogane and asked his name.

"He likes to be called Kuro-puu!" I exclaimed before he could answer.

Kurogane gave me the "shut up" look, then told her, "My name is Kurogane, and this idiot is Fai."

I waved a bit obnoxiously at her. She smiled back.

"So, where do you two stay on the island? Is your settlement nearby?"

I could have answered, but I let Kurogane take control of the conversation this time.

"Actually, we aren't from here. We have been on the island for five days now and have yet to meet a civilized person. We _did_ get a look at the savage cannibals on the other side of the island. We only saw three, but yesterday it sounded like an angry mob of hundreds of them, and I felt they were too numerous to take on at once. We couldn't go back for out things last night, so we didn't have his coats."

"Coats? You brought _coats_ with you?"

"I don't live in a very warm climate. And with the way we travel, it's always nice to be prepared!" I explained with a smile.

"I see. But I have actually seen these cannibal savages you speak of, and you are correct. There are many, many more than three."

"Oh! Have you also seen a young boy with a young girl and a small, white creature? We're looking for them so we can continue our journey and get off the island." I already knew where they were, but I thought I'd ask anyway. But a split second later, I wanted to take it all back. If she knew where Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan were, there goes KuroFai Island time. This also helped me realize that, just in case, I needed to hurry up and get as close to Kuro as possible.

"I... haven't, sorry. I'll let you know though."

_Stupid, stupid, stupid... Now she would be on the lookout._

"So," she continued, "you're saying you _don't_ have a place to stay anymore?" as if she was hoping we would validate her statement.

"That is correct," I told her.

"Well, you two are more than welcome to come stay with me! I have plenty of room," Karolene offered.

"I would think you have plenty of room considering you have the whole ocean!" Kurogane said.

She laughed before clarifying. "Actually, it isn't... you know, it would be a lot better if I just show you two."

"Where is your home?" I inquired.

"Follow me," she began. "It's a short swim." She had backed up. Kurogane and I looked at each other. I shrugged and jumped into the water, feeling a little bad once I did tainting this part of the water supply. But there was plenty more. Kurogane got in after me. We were both tall enough to stand on the edge of the bank.

"Ready for me to guide you? Just hold on to me, Kurogane. And you..."

"Fai," I helped her out.

"Yes, Fai. You hang on to Kurogane."

Karolene turned around away from Kurogane. When he didn't move, she turned back around.

"Do I hold on to your tail or...?"

"Silly boy!" she responded with a laugh. "Right here will be fine." Karolene placed his hand around her body and at her side.

(Oh, just to clarify, since I haven't already, she is wearing a coconut bra. Yeah, she isn't naked, sorry. Just thought I'd let you know since I hadn't.)

I looked up at Kurogane. He was looking down at the mermaid with a straight face. I wouldn't let myself get jealous because of this. Not only were we just trying to get to Karolene's home, I got to hold on to Kurogane! I wrapped my arms around his mid-torso and held close to his back. I love the way he feels.

"Let's go!" I suddenly heard, and no sooner, we were all underwater. I closed my eyes and let Karolene drive us through the twists and turns necessary to reach her house. The lukewarm water ran through my hair until we arose in a dogpile on dryer ground. The sand I rolled onto was damp though.

I wiped my eyes, opened them, then turned. I could not believe what I was seeing. Karolene had flipped onto her back and Kurogane was on top of her on his stomach with his hands on the sand. _Her_ hands were on my spot... and her tail... it was slowly curling and wagging between his legs. Kuro had a look of utter shock and he was frozen, but Karo had a look of pleasure and she was quite active.

"What a lovely underground home! Would you mind giving us a tour? Showing us our rooms? Not arching yourself into him?" I spoke to Karolene as calmly as I could so I could sound like I always pretended to.

The two looked up at me. Karolene lowered her hips and gave me a small smile. Kurogane quickly got off of her, looking guilty and apologetic.

_That wasn't his fault... He was in shock because of how he landed!_ I tried to convince myself as Karolene wrung her blonde hair out. (Did you envision her at first to have black hair? So did I, until now.) It was wavy, and long, and quite pretty, but I don't roll like that. Kurogane doesn't either, right? He was blushing... but it could have been from the torchlight, or the fact that he was sorry it took me saying something in order for him to get off of her. No way he was blushing _because_ of her. There was no way.

Karolene was done drying her hair and held herself up with her arms like a seal.

"So sorry, Fay, how rude of me! This is the foyer and the little caverns up ahead lead to the other rooms."

We were on a pretty steep incline in a rounded room illuminated by torches. Five separate "doors" lined the wall ahead. I suppose they could be called doors; each opening to the next room had a barrier of leaves hanging from the arch. The temperature in the room was quite warm and the air in the room was humid, but still breathable.

"Let's go to this room first." She dragged herself and led herself up the slope. She looked really funny doing it. We pulled back the leaf curtains of the room.

"This is my Mystic Chamber."

"Mystic Chamber?"

"I make potions in here. And this one I'm currently making is just about ready!"

This room had the appearance of the typical witch's brewery. The circular walls were lined with wooden shelves which held various items, plants, and tools. In the very middle of the chamber sat three large cauldrons atop three flames that all emitted strong glows. Karolene approached the right one and looked inside.

"Scratch that, it _is_ ready! Right after this." She pulled out a few blonde hairs and dropped them in the pot.

"What will the potion do?"

"Just watch," she told Kurogane. With a ladle she stirred the mixture, which began to turn from green to bright yellow. Once it was completely yellow, she used the ladle to take a spoonful to her mouth. She swallowed.

Instantly, her tail grew pale and began to split in two. Her now two fins curled, flattened, and grew toes. Once she was through transforming, she pushed herself up and stood. After taking a few awkward steps toward us, she fell into Kurogane. He caught her and helped her regain balance. It was hard to watch, but it would have been wrong of him to let her fall. He wouldn't do that.

"Thank you," she breathed as Kurogane released her. "That is my potion that transfigures me into human form. It will last until the end of the day."

"Very impressive, miss." I wouldn't tell her that I have also made such things. Despite her hospitality, she could still know as little about me as possible. I hoped all she would require would be my name and my relationship status with Kurogane.

"Thank you! Now let me show you the rest of the place." She beckoned us to follow her into the next room.

Luckily, no more moves were made on Kurogane by the mermaid girl. She stayed chaste throughout the rest of the tour.

The middle room was the next to be shown. It seemed to be some sort of kitchen and dining room mix. There wasn't food kept in there, but what's a home without a kitchen? Even though we couldn't transport food down there. Well, we could, but she didn't. She went above sea level to eat.

The fourth room housed all of her supplies and was lit by a single torch. It was organized, she said, but it still looked kinda messy. Wood with wood, leaves with leaves, and she even had a couple of items from the savages they must have dropped.

The left room was hers and the right-most room was empty with just a bed. It was the guest room. I liked the idea that Kurogane and I might share a bed again. However, there was one more room that could not be seen from the foyer. At the back of Karolene's bedroom was the entrance to another bedroom. Guess who got the room that was secluded? Lucky, lucky me! And guess who got the room next to Karolene? Kurogane did. It was as if she was purposefully trying to keep us apart. In order for Kurogane to get me in my room, he would have to go though Karolene's room, and cross the foyer. She did seem to have a thing for him. I would have to have a talk with her.

"So!" Karolene interrupted the silence that had surrounded us. "Are you guys hungry?"

"Oh, yes! I'm famished!" said me.

"Then let's go get some fruit!"

"But first, I couldn't help but noticed the rope in the storage room. I have an idea."

Once I saw where the plan was going, I mentally praised Kurogane for it. Now with a rope leading into Karolene's cavern and out of the stream, there would be no unnecessary touching! The only downside to going through the water that way was it was much slower whereas with Karolene, it was about a ten second ride. Neither of us ran out of breath, but the trip was nearly three times as long. That and we were all wet again, but that was inevitable.

Kurogane went south for his meal, and to my surprise, Karolene took another path to the north. I took this opportunity to talk to her.

"Karolene, may I have a word?"

"Sure, Fay! What is it?" she asked cheerfully. Gosh, I didn't know what was so hard about "Fai".

"It's pronounced "Fai". Like "guy," not "Fay" like "gay." Speaking of gay, that is what I am. I am gay, and so is Kurogane. Forgive me if I have at all misinterpreted your actions, but it seems to me that your interest in Kurogane goes beyond a normal friendship. I would really appreciate it if you would be so kind as to respect his sexuality and not come on to him anymore."

She laughed a little before responding. I wasn't sure at first whether it was good or bad.

"Forgive me, but I am afraid you in fact _have_ misconstrued my intentions. If I appear to be hitting on your boyfriend, then I apologize and believe me when I say I will try to stop acting in that manner. But I want you to know that I was only trying to be polite because you two are, after all, my guests."

_Huh. That wasn't so hard. But she had called him my "boyfriend."_

"Apology accepted. Now, what are you hungry for today?"

She ended up giving me an apologetic hug before we began searching for food. We took our time since it was only afternoon, but I couldn't help but think to myself about what she had said.

_Boyfriend? A boyfriend?_

Two syllables, nine letters, the word was simple enough. But it still sounded completely foreign to me.

_I have been attracted to Kurogane since the beginning of the journey, but not only have I never guessed he might be attracted back to me, I also never considered what he would be to me. Could we possibly be boyfriend and boyfriend? It sounds wrong, but... it feels right. Lover sounds too temporary. Manfriend doesn't sound serious enough. Husband would require marriage. I suppose "boyfriend" would be the correct term for now. Either way though, at least Karolene's out of the way and I am in the clear._

A while later, I met up with Kuro-puu. He was sitting on the same rock I sat on when I was bleeding and he was enjoying a coconut drink. I approached.

"Hello there, Kuro-puu!"

"What did I say about those nicknames?"

He wasn't angry, but I changed the subject anyway, like always.

"So, what do you think of Karolene so far?" I didn't want to directly mention what I thought she was doing, but I was curious about what he thought of her.

"She seems pretty nice... hospitable... physical..." He looked at me on "physical."

"Yeah, she... is," I replied, and he gave me a quizzical look.

"What?" I asked.

"I see what's going on with you... You think that the mermaid... and I..." He didn't, nor did he have to, finish his sentence. He stood.

"I would never..."

Suddenly, I was massively confused until my brain sorted out that I have been pulled by the side and the head into a deep, passionate kiss. Once I realized what had just happened to me, I wrapped both of my arms around him and kissed back. For such a rough man, he could be very... well, passionate! I could feel the energy travel from his surprisingly soft lips to mine.

It took awhile for him to pull away, which I hoped meant he had enjoyed himself as much as I did. I opened my eyes and looked up into his, that were already looking down into mine.

"Kuro-sama..." I think that was the only nickname he was okay with.

He didn't answer verbally, but the way he looked at me and pulled me closer by moving his hand to my lower spine said enough. My reply was to move my right hand from his neck to his cheek. Yes, we mutually agreed, it's time for another kiss.

When the kiss ended, Kurogane slowly moved away from me, unhanded me, then sat back down on the rock and drank his coconut juice like nothing ever happened. I did the same, walking in the opposite direction away from the stream.

Five minutes later, as I chomped on a guava, my heart still soared as I replayed the kiss scene in my head, remembering his touch. Nothing could ruin the moment, which I expected to carry on for the next couple of days, but undoubtedly there would be more of those to renew the excitement. Could this mean Kurogane and I might be happy forever? Was this the happiness I had been hoping so long for? It could very well be.

The sun was setting by the time I decided to make my way back to the house after my me time. Kurogane and I got back to the guiding rope at the same time. Or had he intentionally set this up? Evidence supporting my theory included the fact that when he asked if I was ready to go back underground and I said that I was, he asked me to hang onto him, close my eyes, and hold my breath, as he single-handedly got us to the foyer of the house. More evidence included his somewhat clingy attitude when he announced that Karolene wasn't home yet. Did he want me to make the move this time? Once I decided to do something, I heard an "I'm home!" from Karolene and a very heavy sigh from Kurogane. I felt a little bad for not giving him what he wanted, but how would I? The entire time we were sitting, I was a little distracted from our conversation, thinking.

_Look how close he's getting...! I wanna just... jump on top of him and kiss him! That's what I used to do, just jump on him... but now we're so much farther into this relationship, in unfamiliar waters, stuff I've never done before with anyone, ever. Sure, it's not fair to expect him to make all of the moves, but what do I do? I don't want to do something unattractive and ruin a wonderful, budding relationship. Oh... he is so sexy tonight in this torchlight... Alright, I know what to do; it's time for me to make a move. After all, we do have a limited time._

"I'm home!"

_Dang. Oh, look how disappointed I made him... I've got to do something. Right now. Before he gets up!_

I rolled over on top of him, pushing him back down on the bed. When he realized what was happening, he relaxed. Kurogane spread his legs to make room for mine, put an arm across my back, and put the other on the back of my head.

"Finally," he whispered.

Before we could do anything, we heard Karolene in the doorway and turned to her.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" she asked.

"We were just about to go to sleep," Kuro told her.

"Oh, okay then. Have a good night, boys!"

She left, and Kurogane got up. I thought he was going to leave me to sleep, but instead he got the pile of leaves from the corner to lay on top of the both of us as covers. Then he put out the torches in the room so it was, for the most part, completely dark. A few specks of light still shone through the leaves separating this room from the main room.

He flipped me to my side, got on his side behind me, and pulled my back against his chest. I snuggled up against him. This made me feel incredibly safe. We were like some sort of puzzle. His entire body was warm. His torso especially. As he breathed in, it pressed against me. His hand could nearly fit across my entire mid-section. That was also warming. The more he pulled me back though, the more my butt touched his no-nos. It seemed to me like he was trying to keep me as close as possible. He was really making an effort here. I need to loosen up and make one too.

"Hmmm, Kuro-myuu's comfy…!"

"Hn," was his reply.

"Will Karolene be upset that you aren't in your own bed?"

"Why should she be?"

"Well, she assigned us both to rooms-"

"So what?" he interrupted. "I'm a grown man, can't I choose where I sleep?"

"So, you're saying you'd rather sleep in here with me?" I asked with a big smile he couldn't see.

"Like I said, I can choose where I sleep,"

"Aww, Kuro-puu won't admit he likes to cuddle with me!"

He grunted. "Just shut up and go to sleep. You said you were tired."

I was a lot more awake now. It would be a little while before I went to sleep.

I put my hand on top of his hand that was on top of my tummy so that my fingers fell between his.

It took a few seconds for him to respond by moving his hand from my stomach upward to push me back in place. Then he returned to my lower middle.

_Hmmm, is this a game now, Kuro? Well, I will win!_

On my turn I got a little naughty. The only thing I could think to do was to move my hips from side to side and directly causing my butt to rub up against him.

He wouldn't let me win _and_ make him hard all at the same time. He put a leg over top of me so I couldn't move.

I was out of options, so I began giggling.

"I guess you win, Kuro-pii. I'm all out of ideas!"

"Are you sure?" he asked me.

At that moment, in two split seconds, two things hit me. In the first, I thought, _He wants me to do something… but what?_ And in the second, I thought, _Oh, it's so obvious! Of course!_

"Actually…" I began. "I think I have one more thing to try."

With him still in the same position, leg over mine and hand over my stomach, I began to move. First I took my fingers out of his, then began to turn around to face him. Since it was very dark, I could not see his face, but I did my best using my hands to find it. As soon as I was sure I'd land in the right place, I launched my face forward into his. Just like everything else that night, a perfect fit.

"Finally," he breathed between kisses.

I could tell he had been craving this for a very long time, especially when I was jabbed by something in his boxers. And y'know what? I jabbed him right back.

The make-out fest was not short-lived. Our legs intertwined, tongues thrashed, hands wandered….

The first time Kurogane decided to enter his tongue into my mouth, I wasn't really sure _what_ to do. But his comforting head-petting / spine tracing relaxed me and I just went with it. He seemed to like it when I tongue-battled him back.

He was the first butt pirate that night when he moaned, pushed me into him, thrust into me, and grabbed my booty. He wasn't the only one who got a bit of treasure that night. As soon as he made it clear that butt-touching was okay, I was _all_ over his. Seeing it in the ocean could never compare to touching it (while making out with him!) as solid and non-chunky as it was, even though it was through his boxers. Was there any flawed part of him?

There was only one part of him I hadn't gotten to see or grab extensively. I think we all know what I am talking about, so I won't mention directly Kurogane's now rock-hard penis. I did get to touch it a little at the beginning of today, but that wasn't exactly enough, y'know? I was touching it now with my own through our boxers as his hand on my back compressed them together, but I'd have to see it with my own hands and eyes too.

I wasn't certain when enough was enough. I let Kurogane decide that. It wasn't decided for a while, but eventually I was back on my other side, facing away from him in the position we were originally in before I worked up the nerve to kiss him. Now that I knew exactly what he liked to do and what he wanted, it was all smooth sailing from here on out. No longer was I uncomfortable expressing myself physically with him.

We were both breathing heavily and we had worked up a slight sweat. I'm not sure about him, but I was quite tired by now. It had been a long day.

"Good night, Kuro-cuddly!" I said quietly.

"Night," he said simply before laying one last good night kiss on my cheek. After the kiss, his head stayed on top of mine.

It was odd. We had made out before he kissed my cheek. He had only kissed my hair until this point. I didn't mind though, did order really matter? Not really. As long as it all happened. This was a very enchanting kiss. An ideal end to an exemplary night.

* * *

**WAY LATER EDIT: They sure do like touching each other... ...I like it! ;D**


	6. Day Six

Sorry it took me so long to update (AGAIN), but I'm now going to try to be more like the author of Hail Valley and Collista Lake (really awesome KuroFai's! And you're welcome; free advertising!).

One reason it took so long is because the chapter IS so long. I've gotten some requests not to do that anymore. I'm sorry, but this story just has so many things to tell! I hope you won't mind, especially if I throw in some nice little love scenes all over the place. Another reason it took a long time this time was because I'm reading another manga! It's called Death Note. I'm certain you've heard of it, at least. I finally decided to read it, and it is just my kind of story. Suspenseful, captivating, thought provoking, and quite thrilling. I've heard of many, but I'm only really into a few animes. (Tsubasa, Ouran, Oai House, and Hetalia) I see many of you getting into many more at once, so I'm open to trying out a few more once I'm into Death Note a little more, then I'm moving on to FMA. Got any suggestions? If I love it enough, I might just give them a nice little fan fiction of their own! Preferably a yaoi couple, but they don't have to be. Though, there are plenty of them, so I'm sure each series has at least one, right?

Anyway, on to what you _really_ came here for!

**Previously on "KuroFai Island"...**

Fai wakes up horny, touches Kurogane while he thinks he's asleep, and does many other things while Kurogane's mind is just on getting back to the campsite to see if their stuff is still there. It isn't. Everything is gone from their original spot except for the sand. Fai wanted bananas for breakfast, but when he climbs this particularly tall tree to get them, he gets stung by some bugs and falls into Kurogane's arms. Sadly, it isn't a little fairy tail romance-catch for long. Fai's legs are bleeding from scraping against the tree trunk as he fell. Kurogane rushed him to the stream to clean the wounds. To the outside viewer, it was certain to look odd. It did, to Karolene, the mermaid who happened to be watching. She introduced herself and said she can not only heal Fai, but offer them a place to stay as well. Fai was grateful, but did not like the fact that she seemed to be flirting with Kurogane while knowing that he and Kurogane were an item. Fai also let it slip that they were looking for Sakura and Syaoran. Karolene's house was underwater where she had a potion-making room, where she changed into her human form, a storage room, and three bedrooms. Kurogane's room was only accessible by going through Karolene's and Fai's room was on the other side of the house. Soon after the tour, they went to eat. Kurogane and Karolene went separate ways, giving Fai a chance to talk to her alone. He politely asked her to stop hitting on Kurogane and she said that Fai misinterpreted her actions. She said she was just trying to be a friendly host and would stop being _so_ friendly. Later, Fai met up with Kurogane, who got the idea that Fai was feeling threatened by Karolene's presence. He said he would never cheat on Fai and they shared their first, and second, kisses. Later, when they got back underground, Karolene wasn't there yet and Kurogane was being particularly clingy by coming into Fai's room and laying on his bed with him. The moment Fai decided to do something, Karolene came home and caught them. Kuro didn't care. He turned out the lights and got in bed with Fai, who tried to make Kurogane admit that he enjoyed his cuddly company. After that, they played a bed game, and Fai finally decided to kiss Kurogane. This kiss turned into a make-out session with lots of tongue and touching. When they were done, they went back into the original spooning position, Fai got a kiss on the cheek, and they went to sleep.

**Day Six**

It is dusk on the beach. No one around but me and my warm, sweet Kuro-puu, who is holding me above his head as I pretend to fly like a bird. All of a sudden, he throws me to the sand, where I land with a soft thump on my back. It hurts, and Kurogane comes to massage it, but it doesn't work.

"Will kisses make it better?"

"Maybe!" I manage before his mouth covers mine.

Once he takes a break, I say, "Kuro-silly, it's my back, not my tongue!"

"Oh yeah. Well, it transfers. You should feel better soon." He dives back for more.

Abruptly after, he stops the kisses, runs toward the ocean, rips off his shirt and trousers to reveal a large butt tattoo, and dives in.

"Swimming also helps! Let's swim!"

I stay put, but then I hear a loud rumble. Kurogane and I both look around. Out of the water pop Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona, respectively.

"Mokona can see Kuro-puu's tattoo of Fai on his bum with one of Mokona's 108 secret techniques!" Mokona squeals as Sakura stifles her giggles and Syaoran turns around to laugh.

"Ahhhhk!" Kurogane screams, quite girl-like, covering his left butt cheek with one hand and his front with the other as he sprints out of the water and right at me.

"Wait! Stop! Kur-"

_WHAM!_

Kurogane steps right on my foot, and it pains my back. He disappears into the woods. I turn around to look for him, but he is gone, and in his place, countless savages emerge from the trees and march single-file toward Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona, who are rooted to their spots and cannot run.

"No!" I yell as my friends are forcibly snatched up and away from the beach.

I can't help because every time I move, my back is shot with pain.

"Fai-san! Help us!" Sakura screams.

"Don't just sit there, do something!" Syaoran adds.

I can't move to help my friends. I can't even talk anymore. All I can do is sit back and watch in both backache and heartache.

My eyes quickly opened to near-nothingness, then I shut them again as I tried to sort the dream from the reality.

_Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun are alright… right? Right…. They're still on the other side of the island…. Safe, I hope. It is really selfish of me to just leave them over there while I kindle a relationship with Kuro-puu…. I need to make sure they're alright. And I think I know how I'm going to…!_

Suddenly, I was interrupted in the middle of my worrying by the image of my face tattooed on Kurogane's left butt cheek and the panic was blown away by laugher. I loved being able to remember all of these hilarious dreams.

I opened my eyes and the torch in the room was relit, I guessed by Karolene. She wasn't in there, but I could see the inside of the room.

When I tried moving, pain shot through my back, putting a stop to my quiet laughs. My only reasoning was that somewhere during our sleep, I had moved into an uncomfortable position without realizing it.

At that moment, I remembered just how last night had went. As it all rushed back to me, I blushed a little and grinned unintentionally. We had made out. We had spooned. We had played a bed game. Those were facts. Kurogane felt enough for me to put his arm over my body, which he kept against his, in a protective embrace so that I felt safe, even while in no imminent danger. My physical memory took me back to the thrills of his tongue and touch. Such pleasure.

When I was just about done fantasizing and reminiscing, I began to move a little more slowly, trying to minimize the back pains, and sat upright. I went to stretch my arms a little, but my right arm knocked up against something under the leaf covers. I turned my head to my right to look at Kurogane, and I got another fit of laughs, which I tried to suppress because he was still asleep.

What my arm had brushed against was the covers elevated by Kurogane. I won't go into too much detail here, but approximately one and one half feet off of the surface of the bed was the point of the raised leaves. Kuro was missing something wonderful. He was still asleep!

"That's right… pet… pet the kitty…." he murmured in his sleep.

Kitty? So, that's what they call it these days? Seems a little backwards to me….

I, as quietly as I could, while still laughing a little, lifted the covers off of him so I could get a better look. Yep, there it was. Like a skyscraper it stood up, probably begging to be let loose. It looked as though it was really hating Kurogane's boxers for being in the way.

I couldn't help laughing out loud this time. It was _too_ funny. One particularly loud laugh I saw woke him as his eyes opened wide at the sudden noise.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" he asked me, annoyed, without looking at me.

I couldn't talk. I could only point and laugh at him, which made him mad.

"What?" he sat up next to me with an angry, questioning look on his handsome face.

"What were you dreaming about, Kuro-puu?"

"Huh? I don't even remember. But what the hell is so funny?"

"I'll bet it was a sexy dream. It must have been."

"What makes you say that, you moron?"

I, still laughing, pointed to his boxers. It was still there.

He looked, and I saw his eyes grow wide for a split second before he regained composure, put back on his angry face, and slid to the side of the bed, back facing me.

"You're wasting my time."

_Oh, no you don't, Kuro-puu. I am going to have fun with this whether you like it or not!_

"How am I wasting your time?"

"By making shit up."

"My back hurts. Can you come give me a massage, Kuro-rin?"

"Can _you_ call me by my real name for once?"

"Silly, Kuro-puu! Of course not!"

"Then shut up!" he yelled.

I was really getting a rise out of him. It was quite fun, but I thought I'd stop for now so that I could maybe get a much needed back rub.

"Come on, please?" I asked, getting on my knees and inching toward him. "The way we fell asleep last night really did a number on my back."

"Well, if this is what we're going to have to deal with every time that happens, maybe we should just avoid it!"

He didn't mean it, of course. He was just teasing. I moved right behind him with my hands on both of his shoulders.

"Hmm… I _am_ in quite a bit of pain. Maybe we should…."

I felt an involuntary tensing of his muscles at my words.

"Alright then. No more spooning," he said, probably as sternly as he could manage to show he "meant it".

"Yeah… no more…." I said in a calm, airy voice as I let my hands trail from his shoulders down to his abs.

He probably suspected what I was up to as my hands got lower, and made to stand up. I clung to him with all four limbs.

"Get off me, idiot mage!"

"Sure thing, Kuro!" I said as I began to work my way down as if he were a rope. He didn't realize what I was doing quick enough, and luckily for me, his morning wood was still there. It collided with my hands as I slid down.

He growled as I hit the floor and swore intensely under his breath. I stared up at him as innocently as I possibly could as he glared at me from the side, making sure I couldn't see his very large boner. Gosh, he was still trying to hide it?

"What was that I hit my hands on, Kuro-buro? It seemed pretty _hard_." I spoke seductively, sitting cat-like on the ground.

He didn't answer me. He began to walk away, out of the room.

"Wait, Kuro-puu! What about my back?"

He was already out the leaf-door by the time I finished my sentence.

I took my time leaving the house because of my back. He had already been above ground for a minute or two by the time I made my way up there. The daily morning swim would be a real waker-upper. I didn't mind too much though. The water was a good swimming temperature.

Just feet from where I surfaced were Kurogane and Karolene. She was back in her mermaid form, body in the water, with a placemat made of leaves before her and a spear at her side. Kurogane was standing near her, arms folded, and spiky hair matted to his forehead from the swim. It gave him a very different look, a look I wasn't used to seeing, but it was quite handsome nonetheless. Then again, he could be bald, or have too much hair; I'm certain he'd still look just fine to me.

"Good morning, everyone!" I said with open arms after I got out of the stream.

"Good morning!" Karolene greeted. "How did you sleep last night?"

"I'm a little bit sore on my back, but other than that, I'm just fine!"

"Wonderful! Just don't overexert yourself today, okay? Take it easy," she warned.

"I will. Provided that nothing important needs to be done today."

"Let's eat first, then we'll worry about all of that. I'm fixing a nice, little fruits basket for breakfast and Kurogane wants to wash up before we eat."

"Do you need help preparing?"

I stepped forward as I asked this question, and with both other sets of eyes on me, I suppose they noticed my slight discomfort, though it had gotten better from when I had first awakened.

"Nah, you go wash yourself first, and I'll help Karolene," Kurogane offered. "You can't do any reaching with a hurt back."

_Huh! How kind of him to think of me, despite how I had just five minutes ago humiliated him!_

"He's right. Take your time," Karolene added.

"Okay! Before it seemed like you didn't care about my back, Kuro-myuu!"

"I was just pissed at you," he told me. "For waking me up like that," he added hastily.

"Mhmm, yeah…. Well, I'll be back soon!" I told them as I began to walk toward the ocean.

_She's especially chipper this morning! And Kuro-puu forgives me for the little embarrassment this morning!_

As soon as I reached the line where trees end and sand began, I threw off my boxers.

"Wooooo!" I yelled as I threw my arms in the air and ran for the water like a crazy streaker (or Kurogane in last night's crazy dream!). I was alone though, so it was okay.

I splashed around and chased some fish, getting saltwater in my eyes and mouth. I spat it out, then realized that the back pain was practically gone.

While playing in the water was quite fun, I didn't want to spend too long in there. Kurogane needed a bath too, and he was waiting for me to be done so that he could get one. So I took a few minutes to get any dirt out of my hair, also trying to remove the island smell without being overcome by the salt smell. After a while, I deemed I was clean and got out. Leaves did not make very good towels, but my shorts were already still pretty wet from when I left Karolene's house earlier, so I didn't care much.

When I returned, the sight before me put my mind at ease. I had been worried about what Karolene might try to do in my absence, but things seemed perfectly normal to me. They were having a conversation while Karolene prepared the fruits. She was still in the same spot on the water and Kurogane was sitting cross-legged a few feet away from her. The way I looked at it, he would have been farther away from her if she had tried anything, and she would be a little closer to him if she actually wanted to.

"You're back! Did you have a nice bath?"

"I sure did, Karolene. Now it's time for Kuro-dirty to get clean too!"

"Shut up," he told me as he stood. I made a satisfied face at him.

He walked away without another word and I turned to Karolene.

"So, what are we making here?" I asked as I sat where Kurogane had been.

"Well, Fai, I'm trying to get a little creative with it. I had Kurogane bring me coconuts that I plan to have us use as bowls for these other fruits. The guavas, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, papayas, and Kurogane was even lucky enough to find that ever-elusive passionfruit tree!" she described.

_Hey, she finally got my name right!_

"Papayas and passionfruit? I haven't seen those on the island yet."

"Well, if you guys came from the southern half of the island, then that's why. They're more abundant to the north, but the south has those yummy oranges! Sometimes I feel like going to get them, but we don't have time today; you guys are hungry."

"Oh, if you want to get them, I can stay here and-"

"No, no," she stopped me, smiling. "You two are my guests. I'm going to at least prepare this first breakfast for you."

"Oh, how kind of you!" I smiled back.

"All I require is that you keep me company while I cook. Okay?"

"Certainly, Karolene," I agreed.

A small breeze blew past us and the awkward silence floated in. I would have shouted "Gay baby!" but I wasn't sure if she was familiar with that joke. If she was, we would have a good laugh and become better friends. If not, it would probably usher in another awkward silence and another gay baby would be born.

"Gay baby!" Karolene yelled out of nowhere.

I began laughing immediately.

"I came _this_ close to shouting it first, but I wasn't sure if you were aware of the whole "every awkward silence, a gay baby is born" thing."

"Pshhh! Only if I lived under a rock!" Karolene said picking up a papaya.

I laughed some more, partly because, ironically enough, she technically did live under a rock. But she did come up for air, so I suppose it doesn't really count.

"Speaking of gay baby…" she began, "you and Kurogane."

I ended the laughs and turned to listen to her.

"Hmm?"

"Yes, you two. I, uh, noticed that Kurogane didn't come to bed last night," she commented, keeping her eyes on her papaya she was cutting.

I was hoping she would say more, maybe ask a question, because that statement didn't give me much else to say except, "Yeah, he didn't,"

"What were you guys doing exactly?"

Her tone had changed. It was less bubbly and more serious.

"Mmmm, not much. We fell asleep pretty quickly."

That was pretty true, though I was not beyond lying to this girl. Especially when I still half-suspected her of lying to me.

"Is that right?"

She was good at this. She didn't want to directly ask too many things, as much as she wanted to see what I would tell on my own. And I wouldn't give her what she wanted. I would say as little as possible.

"Yep!" I said, maintaining my normal false happiness.

I thought I had thrown her off and the questions were going to stop, but then she threw a curveball my way.

"So since you managed to fall asleep quickly, does that mean he wasn't any good?" she asked me slowly so that she would be sure I understood and wouldn't have to ask for a repeat.

I did anyway. Was she asking what I thought she was asking?

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm supposing that at least one of you was unsatisfactory to the other, and that is why sleep was the quick getaway option. Am I right?"

"Unsatisfactory? What? I-"

"Come on now, Fai. I know you two did it."

"Oh! Oh! No! Oh, no! We didn't… no! We didn't do any of that! No!" I said as exasperated as possible once I finally decided to "get it".

"Oh, really? That's not why your back is hurting?"

"Yeah. Nothing happened," I told her, trying to convince her to stop asking, but she was getting impatient with me. She wanted to know exactly what we did. We didn't do anything bad, but even still, it was none of her business. I assumed Kurogane was interrogated in the same way. I wonder what he told her and what he kept to himself. I would have to ask him later.

"Nothing? Nothing at all?"

I thought I'd give her a little bit of information, just to shut her up as she picked up a different fruit.

"Just a little kissing. That's it."

Of course, I'd consider it a make-out session, but whatever.

"Kissing?"

"Yes. Kissing."

"Oh."

She resumed cutting the fruits. I assumed that was the end of that subject.

"Lucky you," she mumbled.

"What?"

"You're lucky. I've… never had that happen to me before."

I kept my eyes on her, listening, wondering where she was going with this.

"When I first met you two, I'll admit I was jealous of you right from the start. Yesterday… my actions… they were just a test of mine. To make sure he was truly homosexual."

"So you lied to me about it being unintentional?" I asked calmly, but with a hint of anger, looking away from her.

"Y-… yes…. And I'm sorry. But I only told you that so you wouldn't become angry with me. Can you blame me for just testing it out a little? Come on, Kurogane is _hot_. You can't expect no one else to want him too, can you?"

I looked back at her.

"I suppose not. You're right. I am lucky."

"Yeah. I know if I were in your position, I would be mad at whoever tried interfering in my relationship too. And I like you, Fai, so I don't want to mess up what you have."

"Good. Please don't."

"However, I would like a small favor," she began again.

"What is it?"

"When I see you and Kurogane together… like when I walked in on you lying on top of him yesterday, it really disheartened me. Not because you have Kurogane, but simply because I have no one. I've never had a man to kiss, or to kiss me. I've never had a guy to have exclusively as my own, to sleep with me in my bed, or to love me. Since you've known me, have you wondered where my parents might be?"

My eyes widened a little at this point.

"Actually, I haven't."

"They are home, and I am here. A few miles from here is the deep-sea city that used to be my home."

"Atlantis?" I gasped. Could it be?

"What? No, it's called Hudōr." - ( hyoo-dorr [ comes from the Greek for water, "hudōr" ] )

"Oh." _Damn. I thought I would be the one to discover Atlantis._

"I was exiled from Hudōr by my parents when I couldn't find a mate. So I came here. A place where not too many people are so that my little mermaid secret won't get around. I'm not allowed to return home to my mother, father, or my elder brother until I have a partner to make more little mer-children with."

That story struck a chord from painful, personal childhood experiences. She too was sent away from her loved ones.

"You knew from the second we met that that we were together… but I do get where you're coming from," I admitted. "A similar thing happened to me when I was young. I understand your motive. I really do. And so, I will do you the courtesy of not making you see the displays of affection between Kurogane and I."

I didn't want her to know what happened to me, especially since it was on a much higher level, but I did want her to know that I could relate.

"Thank you, Fai," she told me after dropping the food to give me a tight hug.

"You're welcome," I told her and hugged back.

"There have been a few men before Kurogane. Not _nearly_ as good looking though. That's why I have the extra rooms in my house."

"What happened to the other men? If you don't mind me asking," I inquired, still being hugged.

"They all got off the island somehow before I could propose they become my mate. I suppose that is what will happen here too, but I'm a little more okay with it. You already had him, so I didn't have a chance anyway."

Karolene pulled out of the hug, but kept both hands on my shoulders.

"You really are lucky, Fai. I hope things work out between you two."

"Thanks. So do I."

Karolene resumed cutting and peeling the fruits.

She seemed sincere here. Like she truly meant me and Kurogane's relationship no harm, but only wanted a man for herself so she could see her family again. I totally understood her there, and could only feel sorry that she had to go through this.

However, I would not let my guard down. In the back of my mind, I would always search for reason to suspect that this might be another lie, or at least half of a lie. I didn't want her to be lying, but it was definitely a possibly. Like she said, Kurogane was hot.

"Hey, Karolene?"

"Yes?"

"I have a little favor to ask as well,"

"What is it?"

I was going to use the mood of the moment to my advantage.

"Remember when I told you about our companions we're traveling with?"

She nodded.

"Well… first of all, you have to promise you will not tell Kurogane what I am about to tell you, okay?"

"Of course I won't! I promise," she promised.

"I know where Sakura-chan, Syaoran-kun, and Moko-chan are. Those are their names. I won't go into too much detail, it's pretty complicated, but when Mokona dropped us here, Mokona messed up and dropped us on the other side of the mountain from the others. They are over there, right now. I saw them fall over there as I myself was falling. But being on the other side of the island, I cannot make sure they're alright. There aren't any savages on that side of the island, are there?"

"Not that I know of," she answered.

"Good. Now, I feel incredibly selfish leaving them there without Kurogane and I. Syaoran-kun is strong and his main priority is to protect Sakura-chan. And with Mokona's help, I'm certain they are surviving. However, anything could happen, and I don't want it to be because of me not saying anything just so I can have some alone time with Kurogane. Because as soon as we reunite, we will probably leave. I need you to check on them, Karolene. Please."

"Oh, sure thing, Fai! No problem! I'll go check on them every day. This actually works out for me anyway because there are some rare potion ingredients only on that side of the island."

"Great! Thank you so much, Karolene. I will pay you back somehow." I said gratefully.

"It's not an issue. Like I said, I have to go over there anyway. Although, I would like a little bit of help gathering ingredients."

"Consider it done! Great, we have a game plan!"

I smiled. I was quite happy with the overall turnout of this conversation. Now I was sure Sakura and Syaoran would be safe and I could rest easy. Although, as I had told her, they were probably in no real danger since Karolene said there were no cannibals on that side of the island, but I couldn't help but feel uneasy about Kurogane and I not being over there to make sure of that firsthand. For now, this was the best that could be done. Even if I couldn't fully trust her alone with Kurogane, I knew I could trust her with this. What would she have against them?

"Hey, there you are!"

"Kuro-puu's back!" I announced.

"And just in time!"

Kurogane was walking toward us from where he had taken his bath. He was still wet, especially his hair, but he would air dry.

He took a seat next to me, and in front of Karolene and the food.

The food was almost ready, it seemed. Three coconuts had been cut so that the top of them came off. They looked like little cups. The other fruits were cut into smaller pieces. A few bananas, guavas, and mangoes had been sliced and a few papayas, pineapples, and passionfruit, diced. I had never had a papaya or a passionfruit. I was anxious to try these new tropical foods.

"So, how was your bath, Kuro-puu?" I asked him.

"What the hell kind of question is that?"

"Well, what kind of answer was _that_?"

Karolene snickered at my response to Kurogane's response.

"Seems like _someone_ woke up on the wrong side of the island…" she commented.

That discussion ended there because breakfast was ready.

"Alright, let me explain how this works. This-"

A stomach growled. It wasn't mine, and it didn't seem like it came from Karolene. We both turned to Kurogane silently.

"Yeah, genius, I'm hungry," he told me with some bite in his voice. Just like ever, my response was still happy sounding.

"What a nice change! Genius for once instead of idiot!"

"Shut up and let her finish so I can eat!"

Karolene was looking at both of us, probably a little uncomfortable having to sit in between our constant verbal battles, but she restarted her speech without remarking.

"Alright, first, I'll give you these coconuts. I left the milk inside so you can have a drink." She passed us both coconuts.

Kurogane restrained himself from devouring everything like a good boy until she was finished telling us that she would fill our cups up with a little bit of every fruit and that if we wanted more, all we had to do was ask.

The second Karolene gave the okay to begin the meal, the coconut milk was rushing down Kurogane's throat. While we had barely begun to bring it to our lips, Kurogane was done with his drink.

"Hm! You really are hungry!" she said, wide-eyed, putting down her coconut in order to fill his with fruit.

"Oh, and Fai," she began on another subject as she dropped some pineapples in. "That thing? I'll take care of it after breakfast."

I nodded a thank you to her.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing, Kuro-hungry!"

"Yes, it's really nothing. Now eat up... Kuro-hungry!" Karolene tried calling him a nickname, which he growled at _me_ for. It didn't sound quite right when she did it, but everyone has their first time calling Kurogane a nickname. He kept quiet after that, but I knew that was not the last I would hear of it.

Light conversation followed. A few laughs here and there, and we also made plans for Kurogane and I. While Karolene took care of "that thing" along with gathering herbs, Kurogane was assigned the task of supply gathering. I was assigned the position of "little helper".

His back was to me as he worked so I was free to stare since I wasn't helping yet. He was focused on deconstructing a fruitless tree for wood and leaves. He was working on the last of the big palm leaves. Even if he wasn't turned the other way, I probably wouldn't be able to help myself. Why not watch a man with the body of a god do manual labour?

"You gonna help me, Fluorite?" he asked, snapping me out of my trance.

"Oh, yeah. Of course, Kuro-sweaty!"

"Shut up," he growled, but allowed me to come over anyway so I could help him take down the tree. He had put the pile of leaves around the tree so it would be easier to pull down.

When he handed me the ends of the leaves, I was confused, but he explained by grabbing me from behind.

"Now I'll pull you, you pull the leaves, and the leaves will pull the tree down."

I immediately thought of at least five other ways we could have taken the tree trunk down, but none of them required this much touching, so this method was best.

"Three, two, one!" he counted down. He began to pull back on me and I pulled back on the leaves. The leafless trunk began to bend.

I know it wasn't really a long time, but I was getting tired already. The fatigue gave me an idea. I let go.

Kurogane fell backwards, still holding me. His back collided with the ground and my back collided with his chest.

"Nyaaahhh! Dammit, you idiot! Why the hell did you let go?"

"Whoospie daisy!" I calmly squeaked as I flipped myself over like a pancake so we were chest to chest. I could tell Kurogane was surprised this was the reason I did what I did, but he still tried to keep his mad face on. I put my arms folded in front of me so I could rest my head on them.

"Enjoying yourself, Kuro-comfy?"

"My back hurts, you idiot."

"Oh! Kuro! I have something to tell you!"

"What?" he asked angrily.

"While you were taking your little bath, Karolene and I had a talk and she thinks you're a total Kuro-hottie!"

The sudden statement made him gape at me before putting back on his dignified demeanor.

"What?" he asked me. I decided not to tease him this time and just come right out with it.

"Karolene _was_ trying to get some Kuro-action yesterday, but only because she was kicked out of Hudōr. That is the mermaid city near here, and she isn't allowed back until she finds a mate to make little baby mermaids with. Yesterday when I brought it up, she said that it was all unintentional. I forgave her for lying to me since she said she only did it because she was lonely, wanted to see her family, and you're attractive."

"Is that right?"

"Uh huh. I also promised to stop making her sad by not doing anything with you right in front of her. Is that okay?"

"Sure, now get off. My back can't take this anymore," he responded, getting up as if I wasn't on top of him. I stood as well.

After stretching and rubbing his back, he returned to the tree to pick up the leaves and continue pulling on his own.

"I'm glad you agree to not hurt her anymore! Even though she _is_ around most of the time… and she probably won't like us sleeping in the same bed again… so we won't get to do much more of that stuff anymore…." I trailed off, the disappointment showing both on my face and in my voice as I stepped a step forward. When Karolene was talking to me, it seemed fine and perfectly reasonable. Easy, even. The more I thought about it though, the more I didn't think I could bear it.

Kurogane suddenly stopped pulling and walked toward me with one of the leaves in both of his hands. I looked up at him as he neared. That leaf he put over my head and around my back so that he could pull me into him in one jerking motion.

"Nonsense," Kurogane whispered to me, the man who had fallen into him with both hands on his chest for support.

The leaf he used to draw me close to him was dropped and replaced by his hands. Then he kissed me. I guess the fall I planned had got him going and what I said was enough to set him off. The kiss was furious, tonguey, and full of emotion. It was as if he was trying to say with that kiss: "I don't care what happens, this relationship and everything about it will continue." He didn't seem to want to quit at one. As the kisses continued, the rubbing began for the both of us. One of his strong hands ran over my spine while the other held my buttocks firmly in place. My hand felt up his torso while the other pulled his head forward and touched his cheek, on which the slightest hint of facial hair had begun to appear. I suppose it was slow to grow on him, but it was a thing I never had to worry about.

Even once the kisses stopped, Kurogane still held me. I was mesmerized, not only by what he had just done, but also by the look in his eyes. This look said, as a continuation of what the kiss had told me: "I just proved it too, didn't I?"

"What… was… that…?"

My mouth spilled the words I was thinking without my permission.

"Well," he started as he adjusted his grip on me, raising his hands so he was no longer touching my butt, "since you say we don't have a whole lot of time to act this way, shouldn't we maximize the time we _do_ have?"

I nodded wordlessly after taking in what he had said.

"Glad you agree," Kurogane muttered before using one hand to tilt back my chin so he could go in for more.

That time, the kiss spoke for itself. No need for personification this time. It was many notches below the first set as far as furor goes, because there was so much more love in this one rather than the lust we shared in the first. He slowed down the tongue movements and made them more precise to deepen the experience. I couldn't take it. Too much pleasure at once! That man had a mouth full of magic.

Kurogane snickered once he pulled away far enough to see my expression. Then the hand he had on my back pulled me even closer.

"I see _someone's_ excited, Fluorite."

_He can feel… that's what he was trying to get out of me?_

"Now we're even," he told me with a grin as he walked back to the tree he was trying to take down.

_Even?_

"What do you mean, even? I know this also happened to you this morning, but that wasn't because of me!"

He turned his head so he could see me again and give me a look. A few seconds later, he returned to his work as I stood there, seemingly idle, thinking about what this meant.

_So… was he dreaming about… me? That's totally possible considering last night's happenings. And the end result, which I thoroughly embarrassed him about, *evil grin* he's just given right to me. I bet he's been wanting to show me that kiss all day and was just waiting for the right time. Yeah… that has to be it._

Kurogane took care of the rest on his own. The tree fell in the forest and we were around to hear it. It did make a sound, and didn't hit either of us on it's way down. Since I didn't want to just sit there, bored and not helping, I volunteered to go get Kurogane and I some lunch. It was actually a good idea.

I came back with bananas and passionfruit, ironically enough. I hadn't intended the symbolism, but there it was. I wondered if Kurogane would notice.

"Hehehe, nice choice of fruits, Fluorite."

"Oh, Kuro-sweaty! You and your dirty, dirty mind!"

Sure, he was very Kuro-sweaty. But that didn't stop me from wanting to be in his arms as soon as I saw him. I didn't do that though. I simply took a leaf to use as a placemat for the fruits so I could rest my arms.

"Are you okay, Kuro-sweaty?"

"I'm fine," he said with a grunt. "And I'd be even better if you didn't call me that idiotic nickname!"

"I don't think you're fine, Kuro-sweaty," I commented, ignoring his request to stop the nicknames. "I think I really hurt your back when my hands slipped on the leaves, Kuro-rin,"

That was my excuse. They slipped.

"Slipped? Pshhh! You planned that!"

And he didn't buy it.

"How do you know that?"

"It's obvious," he said casually.

"Why would I do it on purpose?" I asked, slyly cornering him.

"Maybe because you wanted that to happen?"

"Why would I want you to hurt your back?"

"Not that!"

"What then?"

"...You're playing with me, Fluorite. Quit it."

I giggled. I wanted to keep pursuing this, but I knew he wouldn't actually say anything. That was okay though. I didn't mind much.

"Sit down, Kuro," I told him. He obeyed, but with an angry/questioning look on his face.

Once he was seated, I sat behind him, and commanded him to lay back. The back of his head soon found its way into my lap. I made sure I was completely calm and wouldn't be poking him in the back of the head as we sat, perpendicular.

"Open wide, Kuro-sweaty!" I chirped.

"Stop calling me tha-!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full! You could choke, Kuro-puu!"

I had dropped the first piece of banana into his mouth while he was talking. He chewed, swallowed, and then sat back up.

"I don't need you feeding me, Fluorite."

"This is the least I can do for damaging Kuro-sweaty's back!" I told him.

"I said I don't need you to. Now give me the banana."

"Nope!"

"What?"

"Nope!" I repeated. "The only way Kuro-sweaty is getting any food is if Fai is feeding it to him!"

"Then I guess I'm not eating this," he said defiantly, starting to get up.

I caught him around his middle with the hand that wasn't holding the banana. His butt slammed to the ground, probably from the surprise of my arm now being around him and my hand rubbing his toned back muscles. I pulled myself closer to him so I could whisper in his ear.

"You're hungry, Kuro-hungry. I can feel it. Now listen. You're going to lay back down, relax, and accept the food. Okay?"

Once I finished talking, I dropped another piece of banana into his mouth so he couldn't argue. And once he swallowed, I guided him back to my lap with my hand on his buffness.

Either I had convinced him being fed was nothing to be ashamed of, or he just didn't have the energy to protest further. Regardless of the reason, I had caught him. I smiled to myself while I fed him the bananas, stroking his hair every once in awhile.

When his bananas were gone, I got out the passionfruit. It was a little messy for him to eat. I had to lick up some passion-juice off his face, but I tried to refrain from it as much as possible in order to keep my lower half as unexcited as possible.

Kurogane finished his meal and sat up wordlessly. He was going to let me eat my food while he transported the leaves over near the bank by the entrance to Karolene's underground abode.

I ate, feeling a little bad for not helping, but not quite bad enough to do anything about it. I was very hungry. So hungry that in the short amount of time Kurogane was carrying the new raw materials over to the edge of the stream, I finished eating everything and even got a drink.

"I'm all done eating, Kuro-sweaty!"

"Again with that stupid name! Shut the fuck up, you fucking idiot!" Kurogane boomed.

"Maybe you should take another bath," I suggested innocently.

"If it'll shut your moron mouth…" he mumbled, beginning his walk toward the ocean with his fists clenched.

I waited about fifteen minutes or so to begin following him so he could cool down a little. I used the potty and got another drink while I waited.

When I arrived on the beach, I walked into the ocean quietly so that Kurogane wouldn't hear me. Whenever he turned around, I quickly ducked underwater for ten seconds or so. That way, he wouldn't see me coming.

"What the hell, Fluorite?" he screamed at the top of his lungs when I splashed him with water once I got near enough. He sent a giant wave back at me. I laughed and wiped my eyes.

"May I join you, Kuro-tan?"

"What? Aren't you supposed to ask _before_ you get in with me?"

I laughed again.

"Whoopsie!"

_Splash!_

"Hey! Stop that!"

_Splash!_

"No fair, you have bigger hands!"

_Splash!_

"Fucking stop it!"

_Splash!_

"You stop it!"

_Splash!_

"Dammit, I am serious, Fluorite!"

"Okay…." I gave in suddenly.

_Splash!_

"I said okay!"

"Oh, sorry."

Now we floated in silence. Looking at each other a little awkwardly. I noticed that the sun was about to set.

"I'll just be going then. I'm going to take another bath over there, but I'll be back in time to watch the sunset!"

"Sunset?"

"Yes, Kuro-tan, we are watching the sunset again. And after that we are going to watch the stars, okay?" I decided and swam away fitfully, so as many splashes as possible would be made, before he could say no.

I was shocked when I saw him sitting on the sand a little while later, waiting for me, once we were both done getting un-sweaty. His hair was wet again and his body still had water droplets. Enticing, to say the least.

"Kuro-rin!" I called. He turned. "You waited up!" I ran toward him.

I reached the man and sat in his lap. He grumbled loudly, but didn't make me move. He didn't move either though. I fixed it by turning around, grabbing one of his arms, and securing it around me like a safety strap. He allowed it, but did make an angry noise.

"Isn't it pretty, Kuro?" I asked, referring to the sunset.

"Hn."

"You aren't very talkative this evening, Kuro-rin. Any particular reason?"

"It's nothing,"

"Nothing, huh?" I turned my head so I could see his face. He had the same semi-angry expression as always, his form of a straight face. "I don't believe you, Kuro-rin!"

He didn't answer. He probably knew if he did, I would continue to push for the idea that something was wrong with him. He just stared back at the sky. I did the same, not giving in, but just postponing the interrogation because I had another question I meant to ask earlier.

"So, what did you and Karolene talk about this morning while she was making breakfast?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, only because of the things we got to discussing. So what'd you guys talk about?"

"Not a whole lot. The only question that came close to being anything like what you two talked about was if you were my first boyfriend."

_Did I just hear him say boyfriend?_

"Did you just say the words "my first boyfriend?" I asked.

"Did you just go deaf so you couldn't hear me?" he retorted.

"No, Kuro-puu! What did you tell her? Am… I your first boyfriend?"

"What do you think?"

"I have no idea! Am I?"

"Yeah," he finally admitted.

"Yay!" I screamed, turning around fully in his lap so I could hug him. "So, you would consider us boyfriend and boyfriend?"

"Would you?"

"I asked _you_, Kuro-puu," I told Kurogane, pulling away a little, but still keeping my arms around his neck.

"...I guess so…."

"You guess so?" I repeated immediately after he finished saying it. "What do you mean you guess so? Are we or aren't we?"

"Yeah, sure," he said, sort of rolling his eyes at me. But I didn't care at the moment.

"We're boyfriend and boyfriend! Yay!" I said again before slamming into his face for a kiss on the lips.

"Alright, alright, now calm down!"

"I'm just so excited, Kuro-puu! I've… never had one before!" I informed him. "Have you?"

"I just told you that you are the first,"

"No, no. I mean… y'know… girls." I rephrased.

"Oh."

He was silent after that, looking past me while I was trying to get him to look _at_ me. Kurogane was so good-looking I almost couldn't stand it sometimes. So what if he's had other relationships? That was normal, right? Like Karolene had said earlier, I can't expect me to be the only one attracted to him. Even with my logic, I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Just the thought of him possibly loving someone else made me sick, even if they were no longer a part of his life. Irrational? Completely. But that is what I felt, and I couldn't help that.

"Have you ever dated a girl?" I asked, uneasiness probably showing.

"Course I have,"

"How many?"

"Three. No, four."

"How long did they last?"

"The first one turned out to be a stalker after a couple months so I had to get rid of her, then the second one cheated after five months and left me for the other guy. The third one asked me out as a dare and broke up with me a week later. The fourth one… she was actually pretty a good girlfriend while it lasted." My heart skipped a beat. "But we sort of… drifted apart. We decided it was best that we stop dating, but we're still pretty good friends."

_Alright… that's fine… I think. He can't still have any feelings for any of them now. No way! Gah, why won't this feeling go away…?_

"What's the matter, Fluorite?"

"What do you mean? Nothing's the matter!" I lied, putting back together my smile that had fallen apart.

"Yeah, right. I can see that me telling you all of this has affected you for some reason."

"What are you talking about? I'm fine, Kuro-pii!"

"No, you aren't. I can tell."

_You are good, Kuro-puu. But that doesn't mean I'll crack. You don't need to know this._

"Would it make you feel better telling me about _your_ past relationships?" he asked. Apparently, he thought that him telling me these things was making me jealous of those girls and a little worried about being the first guy he's ever been involved with.

_You are **very** good, Kuro-puu. You **already** know this. However, this would not help me feel better._

"Nah, that's… that's okay!"

"No, tell me. I want to know. Am I _your_ first boyfriend?"

"I already said that you were, Kuro-silly!" I said, turning back around to face the sunset and not my boyfriend. He turned my face back around gently, though I could sense he was getting impatient.

"I meant girls, idiot. Have you ever had any girlfriends?"

I couldn't say it for some reason, so I just shook my head. He caught my head in mid-shake to peck me on the lips. He was trying to say, "No one else? Great. I get you completely to myself." That plus the expression on his face after that made me forget all about his past relationships for the time being. I began to calm down.

We watched the sun set, and afterwards I made him stay on the beach despite the decreasing temperature. Kurogane laid on his back and I snuggled up next to him so that we could both stargaze.

"Isn't it magical?"

"Yeah."

That was pretty much the only conversation that occurred before I began to yawn. Usually I can't sleep well if I'm cold but somehow I found a way, with Kurogane's chest as a pillow, the sky as a blanket, and the beach sand for a mattress. With him in my arms, I drifted off to sleep.

CRRRACK!

Lightning. Thunder. Gales. All three awoke me. It was even darker outside than before. When the stars had been out, I could faintly identify Kurogane's features. Now, I couldn't see anything. As soon as I sat up, Kurogane was on his feet.

"We need to get out of here," he declared.

"Where do we go?" I asked.

"It would be dangerous to try and go back underground… and the trees will attract the most lightning…. Our only chance is to get over to the mountain and get some shelter there."

More lightning struck a few miles away, but we knew where it was heading. The thunder roared right after. I saw Kurogane's face by the lightning. It was comforting to know he was here with me.

"Let's go," he commanded, taking my hand and pulling me along as he ran against the wind, staying on the sand to avoid having to go into the trees.

It began to rain. It didn't go from drizzle then gradually get more intense. No, it began as torrential rain. It hurt, especially with almost no clothes on. I was forced to run with my eyes closed so they wouldn't get shot with the freezing downpour. Kurogane couldn't have been able to do that though, since he was leading us. I felt bad I couldn't help, but there wasn't much I could do. I couldn't even talk anymore because he probably wouldn't hear me over the combination of tenacious thundering, gales and gusts, and relentless rain.

The lighting was getting closer and the thunder was getting louder. Sure, I had always wished for death, but that can't happen now! I just got a boyfriend! You're too late, wish! Do not grant yourself!

"Ahhh!" we both screamed when we saw that lightning had struck on the island somewhere to our left. I didn't think we would have to worry about a fire, but there would definitely be a lot of damage on the island that we would see once the storm was over… if we made it through alive.

The strikes didn't stop at one. At least six times each minute, lightning struck somewhere not far from us on the island. My pulse went off the charts as we continued to sprint toward the mountain, praying for some crevice to climb into, staying away from the trees, but not too close to the ocean. The only upside to the lightning was the split second of visibility it provided. The number of split seconds per minute increased dramatically as time went on. This was the worst thunderstorm I had ever been in.

We stopped running abruptly, but Kurogane pulled me closer to him. Probably because he thought I might be blown away by the incredibly strong wind, or maybe because he was also shivering. I opened my eyes for a second and could see him searching around. I saw we had reached the stream, now overflowing with rapids.

"Right there," Kurogane yelled, pointing straight ahead. At the next lightning strike two seconds later, I saw he had found a small cavern. But we would have to cross the stream to reach it.

"Ahhhh!" I screamed when lightning struck nearby.

"Come on!"

Kurogane yanked me by the arm as he launched himself into the stream so we could cross. Somewhere between jumping in and him jumping out, our hands slipped apart and I was left behind, struggling to breathe, water pounding my face. I couldn't see, but I had managed to grab ahold of the ground. That was proving to be a horrible thing to try and hold on to. The water seemed to be eroding it more and more every moment.

I couldn't hear anything but thunder anymore, and that was when my head wasn't underwater. I could no longer speak because each time I spit out the floodwaters, more just came rushing into my mouth. I was terrified, to say the least. I did not want to die anymore. And especially not by drowning, but I didn't know what was happening other than that the earth beneath my hands was quickly crumbling.

_Kurogane, where are you?_

The over-soaked dirt gave way and broke apart between my fingers. I did my best to locate more stable ground and I flailed my arms above me. It did no good and I was picked up by the water and taken away.

"Kurogane!" I managed before going under for the last time. I wanted him to hear me so that he would find me, but opening my mouth right then was a mistake. A clump of eroded dirt made its way past my teeth and into my throat. In that moment I was forced to swallow it so it wouldn't get stuck, along with the water that came with it. My mouth stayed shut after that.

_No! This can't be happening…. Where is Kurogane? Has he forgotten about me? Did make a run for safety and take shelter while he still could? If that's the case, then maybe this is better. At least he would live this way. But… it still isn't fair…. My life was beginning to make a turn for the better… and all of a sudden it's going to end… along with my life? No… Kurogane… come save… me… please… Kuro… Kur-…._

I hadn't gotten much air before I was submerged. It made passing out come that much quicker.

NO! Fai is drowning in a terrible storm! Could this be the end? I'll tell you this much. There _will_ be a little more added on to Day Six and that is coming very soon. Stay tuned, folks.

Oh, and before I forget. I forgot where I heard the "sky for a blanket, earth for a mattress" metaphor that I used (yeah, it isn't mine) and it is getting on my nerves. Do any of you know? I know I found out about it in AP Euro class, but that's all I can recall. Help me, and I won't kill any characters... yet.

**WAY LATER EDIT: I have started actually writing the end! The end is in sight, people!**


	7. Day Six, Part Two

This took no time at all to write! Thanks again for all your continued support! Here's what you were waiting for.

**Day Six, Part 2**

I waken with a fit of coughing, which eventually settles down. Once it does, I can't bring myself to do anything but crack open my eyelids. I can't see anything at all. Either it is pitch black wherever I am, or I've gone blind.

My sense of touch comes back to me when something covers my mouth and forces warm air inside. This contrasts what I am feeling on the outside: very, very cold and wet. I have no idea what is forcing this warm on me so I push it off of my face and scramble away, only to bump into a rough, hard surface.

"Ah, dammit!" I hear. Who was there with me?

"H-hello?"

"Oww! My face! You hit me in the eye! Dammit, Fai!" the same voice roared, not answering my 'hello' very politely.

"Fai? What's a Fai?"

"Cut it out, Fluorite. This is not the time."

"Huh?"

I was extremely confused. Who was this Fluorite person? And what's a Fai?

"What the hell? This is no time for games!"

"Games? I want to play!"

"Stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"Uhhhhh!" the other voice boomed out of the darkness.

All of a sudden, I heard another loud roaring, this one not coming from the voice. Perhaps it was a bigger voice?

"What was that?" I asked.

"That was thunder, you f'king idiot. I pulled you out of the storm; don't you remember?"

"Umm… no? But I am certain that you have no right to call me an idiot! Now, who are you? And for that matter, who am I? And where are we?"

"Quit, Fluorite, you're really starting to bother me. Do you _really_ not know who you are?"

"Uhh, that's what I said, isn't it?"

For a few seconds no one spoke, except for Thunder's voice. He spoke a lot. I wonder what he was so upset about.

After the silence, the same thing as earlier covered my mouth again and I was forced against the rough surface again.

"What was that?" I asked.

"A kiss, dumbass. _Now_ do you remember anything?"

"A kiss? What is that?"

The voice sighed, then my mouth was once again covered for a few seconds, but not nearly as roughly as before.

"_That_ was a kiss. Are you being serious here?"

"What does 'kiss' mean?" I questioned.

The voice grumbled and said, "Either you're playing a shitty trick, or… you have amnesia…."

"What does 'kiss' mean?" I repeated.

The voice grumbled again, I suppose trying to find words to explain 'kiss' to me.

"Shit…. A kiss is… something that… it's like… when two people… when they love each other…. Do I really have to explain this to you?"

"Explain what?"

The voice huffed loudly. I could even hear it over Mr. Thunder.

"Nevermind. Just go to sleep."

"Where is sleep?" I asked. What were all of these weird things?

"Gahh, nevermind!"

I was taken and situated very close to the voice I had been hearing. My cheek and back of my body were touching something that felt like skin. I tried to pull away, but something stopped me right below my waist. I felt uncomfortable for some reason.

"What are you touching?"

"Shut up and sleep, Fluorite," the voice said. I could feel vibrations coming from whatever I was laying on top of.

"Am I Fluorite?"

"Yes, you are."

"Who are you?"

"I am Kuro-"

"Puuuuu!" Mr. Thunder finished for him.

"Kuro-puu?" I asked. "Funny name. Wouldn't have chosen that myself."

"I… nevermind." He sure did like that word. "Just shut up and go to sleep."

"I'll try, even though I don't know what it is."

We didn't speak again, but Mr. Thunder continued to shout. Aside from him, I could hear beneath my head the steady pounding of something else under me. Whatever I was laying on was warm, but not very soft. Eventually I was sucked into a world all my own. I think it's either called a dream or a hippo, but I'm not sure; they both sound right.

* * *

Yep! That's it! Smile, Fai is all right! Just a little amnesia is all. Mokona says the next chapter will be totally exciting!

**WAY LATER EDIT: YAY! Still working on the next chapter! :D **


	8. Day Seven

Now that summer school is over, I have much more freedom to write! But I would like to thank someone before starting the chapter today. And that someone is **fer-hyu**! Fer's review consisted of the sentence: "now Fye can fall in love again with Kurogane". I hadn't even considered that option. But, I found a way to work it in! Thank you so much! Even though you didn't mean to, you made the story a thousand times more interesting!

Okay, if you have not read the manga past chapter 166 then from now on, this will contain some spoilers for you! And not the hidden, won't really notice kind of spoilers. The blatant SPOILING spoiler. You have been warned.

**Yesterday…**

After another naughty dream, Fai wakes up and sees Kurogane's giant, morning two by four. Embarrassed, Kurogane leaves the house, as does Fai soon after, and they take baths. Fai goes first, then Kurogane. Karolene is making breakfast while they bathe and while Fai keeps her company, she asks about their night of fun. He ends up avoiding telling her too much, and Karolene is the one who ends up confessing things. She says she lied about unintentionally coming on to Kurogane because she needs a mate in order to return to her mer-family. Fai felt bad for her, though still would be watchful, and promised to try and keep the PDA to a minimum while she was around. After breakfast, Kurogane was assigned the task of taking down one tree along with all of its leaves to use for supplies. Fai wasn't of much help, but he sure kept Kurogane nice and distracted by initiating make-out sessions! After a meal, Fai met up with Kurogane at the beach where they bathed again (separately!) and then had a nice talk. During this talk, their relationship was established as being "boyfriend and boyfriend" and Fai also got to go through hearing about Kurogane's past relationships. Fai had always been single, luckily for Kuro, who got him all to himself. Stargazing, they fell asleep. Awoken by thunder, they ran for the mountain in search of shelter. On their way across the stream, Fai's hand slipped out of Kurogane's. Fai, no longer wishing for death, was afraid that Kurogane was going to let him drown.

In part two, we learn that Kurogane did save Fai, but not before he could get amnesia. Fai can't remember a thing. Kurogane tries to kiss his memories back, but it's futile. He just keeps him in his arms so that they can both go to sleep. And that's it! Onward!

**Day Seven**

I awoke in Kurogane's arms, but I was totally unsure of how I got there. It was very dark when I opened my eyes, but I could see. I observed a rocky surrounding, from what I could tell. Where was this and how did we get here?

"Ehhhhh," I moaned, bringing a hand to my head. It hurt quite a bit. I struggled to recall any previous events, but I couldn't do it.

I could remember one thing. The man with me enjoyed to yell. A lot. This man was holding me for some reason. Like I was his stuffed toy he takes to bed every night. Who knew when his next outburst would occur? I needed to get out of there.

I stood up and began running in the direction of the light as quickly as I could.

"Where do you think you're going?" he called groggily.

I didn't want to answer him. I was already out of the cavern anyway.

I looked around with a skeptical eye. I was mere meters from a very full stream running to the left. Was I on an island? Sure seemed like it. Was anyone else here besides Kurogane and I?

"Oi, Fluorite! Stop!" He caught up with me. "Don't go anywhere. I need to see if any of your memory has come back."

"What?"

"You have amnesia, but I want you to tell me what you remember. Anything at all."

I took a moment to think. Memories were slow to come, but they came. One at a time.

"Well… I know that I'm on an island. I have a headache. A mermaid hugged me, though I don't remember her name. But I do remember yours. It's Kurogane."

"Wha-? Uh, yeah. That's right. Kurogane. Do you remember your name?"

"Yuui."

Kurogane looked shocked.

"Yuui?"

"Yes. Yuui."

"Your name is Fai, Fai. Not Yuui."

"No, Fai is my twin brother's name. I am Yuui."

"Uhh, whatever. Anything else you remember?"

"Umm… I took a bath yesterday. And…" I paused.

"And what?"

"And… you yelled at me," I finished, looking up at him and backing away. "Why did you yell at me?"

"Probably because you pissed me off. Which time are you talking about?"

_Just how many times have there been?_

"You were mad that I woke you up. Really mad."

"Oh, yeah. You woke me up in a very uncomfortable way, and I was pissed."

"Oh… okay," I said quickly so I could leave him and find someone with some sense.

"Where are you…? Hey, it's Karolene!"

Ahead of me, I saw a girl with long, blonde hair wearing a coconut bra and a leafy skirt start running toward me and Kurogane.

"Oh my gosh! Thank goodness you two are alright!" She reached us, speaking in a voice like a soft cloth. "What happened last night? I turned in early after putting away the leaves and wood you collected yesterday when I saw you two at the beach, but then I heard all that nonstop thunder and I was _so_ worried! I'm fine, but the house almost flooded, but luckily nothing was ruined. Nothing bad happened to you two, did it?"

"There was a storm?" I asked.

The blonde girl looked at me like I was crazy.

"He has amnesia," Kurogane told her. "We got separated and he fell into the stream. I got him out eventually, and he was unconscious for a while, but then woke up and couldn't remember a thing. We went to sleep again, and he woke up only remembering a couple minor things and my name. He doesn't even remember his own name! He thinks he's Yuui and Fai is his twin brother."

The blonde gasped and brought her hands to her face.

"Oh no! But no matter, Fai, I know just the thing to cure you!"

"Stop calling me Fai! I'm Yuui!" I said loudly.

"Now he knows how I feel…" I heard Kurogane mumble.

"Yuui…" Karolene put both of her hands on my shoulders. She called me by my name, so I didn't protest. "You aren't well. You have lost most of your memories."

"Like Princess Sakura?"

"Uh, yes. But I can get them back. I'm going to leave you with Kurogane and he's going to take care of you while I make you a yummy drink that's going to make you feel better, okay?" she said very slowly.

"Okay, I guess. But I'm not okay with the Kurogane part. He's just going to yell at me some more."

Everyone was silent after I said that. It seemed that the girl and Kurogane were looking at each other. Then he took me semi-roughly by the arm.

"No, I'm not. Not if you don't piss me off. And the way you are now, I don't think you will, at least not in the way you usually would."

"Fine," I said coldly, jerking my arm out of his grasp.

The blonde girl seemed uncomfortable.

"Well, just do this for me, please, Kurogane. The potion will work a lot faster the more memories he can already rememeber because they aren't gone, he's just having trouble recalling them. If you can try and bring back some of his memories, this will go a lot smoother."

"And if he can't remember anything?"

"Well, then we'll just have to keep at it until he remembers some more things on his own. Otherwise the potion won't work."

_Potion?_

"What kind of potion?"

"The kind that will help you, Fai. Now, I'm going to go get the ingredients to make it with, okay? Stay with Kurogane," she commanded, putting her hands on me at the last sentence as if it would ensure I would obey. I wasn't sure yet whether I would or not. Depended on his behaviour.

She ran off and I was left alone with him.

"Alright, Fai. Sit down."

"I told you, I'm Yuui. Fai is my twin. How many times am I going to have to explain that?"

"Remember when she said you were having trouble remembering things?"

"No," I said, just to screw with him.

He sighed heavily.

"We have got a lot of work to do…. Okay, I don't know a lot about things that happened to you before we met, so I'll try and see if you remember anything from our trip."

"What trip?" I asked, confused, though I sat anyway. Was I on vacation on this tropical island with this crazy man?

"Okay, you said you remembered Princess Sakura earlier. What do you remember about her other than that she also lost her memories?"

"Nothing. I don't even know how I know her or what she looks like," I answered truthfully.

"Then… let's begin somewhere else…." He began to hesitate, looking around.

"Yes?" I tried to get him to hurry up.

"Do you remember how we got here?"

"Not at all. How _did_ we get here? And _why_ are we here?"

"Nevermind that, I'll bet it will only confuse you further. Let's try simpler questions. Do you like sushi?"

"What is sushi?" I asked.

"Raw fish wrapped in rice and seaweed," he told me.

"Ewww, Kurogane! That sounds icky!"

"One down, about two billion to go. Let's see… do you remember any… _other_ things you used to call me?"

"No…? Don't I call you Kurogane? That _is_ your name, isn't it?" I asked, puzzled.

"Yes, my name is Kurogane. But you always insist on calling me other idiotic names. I'm not saying any of them, so just tell me if you remember calling me a Kuro… something."

"Alright," I agreed, still not having a clue what the man was talking about.

Now he really seemed to be struggling trying to come up with more questions to ask me. I wanted to get up and just walk away quietly, but before I made up my mind to do that, I was being forced into a rough kiss. With my eyes wide open, I could see his hands from in my peripheral vision and his eyes closed, seeming to be enjoying himself as he forced his tongue past my teeth. I couldn't even begin to fathom what I was feeling. One half of me, disgusted and scared, was being taken over by the other half of me that was telling me that this was right and I should be enjoying it. However, Disgusted Yuui ended up winning in the end as I slapped Kurogane away from me and crawled backward until my back collided with a tree.

"What the…? What was that?"

"You… still don't remember that?"

"No! You sick pervert! Get away from me!" I shouted, standing up.

"To hell with you then, you fucking idiot!" he bellowed, also standing.

_Wait…. Idiot?_

"Idiot? Idiot…?" I repeated.

His incredibly angry face softened a little at this.

"Yes, idiot. Do you-"

"I remember!" I screamed over top of him.

"You remember? What do you remember?"

"You always call me an idiot, Kuro-meanie!"

He looked almost relieved.

"Yes, that's right. I do always call you an idiot."

"And… and…."

I began to remember more, but this was overwhelming. Five memories at a time flashed before my eyes. Then came another six. Then a pair. Until I got to see one. Just one. And the wrong one. As soon as I had watched only a fraction of it, the tears began to pour. I heard something, and not long after, Kurogane was at my side.

"Fluorite? What is it? Why are you…?"

"No! Fai!" I cried through my tears, dropping to my knees.

Kurogane stayed silent as the rest of the memory played out.

"Fai… no! I didn't…. I didn't mean to…. No! I couldn't have! No! Fai! Fai…!"

Kurogane had reached out to me. He was also on his knees, holding me close to him so that the only things separating my face from his bare chest were my hands I was sobbing into. He sort of rubbed my back, trying to calm me down, but it was no good. Nothing could remedy having to relive this. Not even…

...another kiss? Kurogane along with some sort of physical memory inside of me controlled the action. I didn't consciously or voluntarily do a thing as Kurogane's tongue caressed my own, hoping it would stop the screams. It did stop the screams, for how can one yell if one's tongue is wrapping around another? Was this behaviour okay? He certainly seemed to think so as his hands went lower on my body and he took a breath so he could kiss me again.

Before I knew it, I was on my back in the grass. Kurogane's entire body covered mine. He was still going at it, but he had moved from my mouth down to my neck.

"Kur-… Kurogane," I managed, barely a whisper. He didn't seem to hear me until I spoke louder.

"Hn?"

"Is this… is this what I would normally do? Is this what _we_ would normally do?" I asked him, having long given up trying to resist, but still having a bit of confusion.

"Yeah. It is," he responded before returning to his work.

"So… we're… together…? Like boyfriend and boyfriend?"

He didn't answer. He just kissed me again and looked at me as if to say, "Duh, idiot."

_So. I'm in a homosexual relationship with this man, Kurogane. He loves to yell, but he also loves to kiss me. And to be totally honest, I'm enjoying it. Can this kind of pleasure be obtained any other way? I don't know. But here it is, right on top of me. And who am I to deny him pleasuring me? Then again…_

…_I can't get too used to it. What if he's just a figment of my imagination? I can't risk becoming too happy, only to lose the source. But… I can't… seem… to stop… kissing… him… back…._

"Kurogane! I'm finished with-" I heard the voice of the girl from earlier stop short. So did Kurogane's kisses as he turned to look at her. I looked at her as well. I didn't know how I felt about being caught, mid-kiss with Kurogane, but he sure looked uncomfortable. And so did she.

"Oh…! What a… smart idea! Did, um, kissing help him remember anything?"

Kurogane looked from the girl down to me. I suppose he expected me to answer for him.

"Yeah…. I've remembered a lot!" I answered as the tears began to come back. Kurogane's kisses had almost made me forget about my painful past.

"Not again," I heard Kurogane mumble. "Hurry, make him drink the potion."

I barely noticed what was happening externally as my past replayed itself, the same old sorrows, forcing me to undergo the anguish for a third time.

"Fai! No! Fai! Fauguaguaugaua…."

Some liquid was being poured down my throat by the girl making me first misspeak my twin's name and then begin to choke. This only created more salty droplets to fall from my eyes. I hacked some of it up onto my stomach and fell backward into darkness. I could only see my dear brother, Fai, in my minds eye, until that decided to close as well.

* * *

I awoke in Kurogane's arms and I was totally comfortable with being there. We were sitting facing the ocean. I guessed that his back was against a tree.

"Good morning, Kuro-cuddly!" I chirped, looking up at him and wrapping my arms around him to kiss his cheek.

He looked back at me with an odd sort of expression, took my face and kissed it before pulling me closer.

"Someone's being Kuro-ffectionate this morning!" I said happily with my face buried into his right pectoral. He smelled like ocean.

"It isn't morning anymore, idiot. The sun is setting. See?"

I turned my head enough to peek but not so much that I had to leave Kuro's body-pillow. Sure enough, there was the sun making it's way below the horizon for the day.

"Woah…. I must have really had a long sleep. And you stayed cradling me the entire time? Awwww, Kuro-sweetie-!"

"Shut up!" he interjected unnecessarily. "You haven't been asleep for all this time. Do you remember yesterday's really bad storm?"

"Oooh, yeah," I said with some freight in my voice, immediately remembering. That was really scary.

"As a result, you had amnesia that night and today until Karolene made you a potion to cure it with. You were saying all kinds of crazy stuff, but now I think you're back to normal."

I laughed a little.

"What kind of crazy stuff did I say, Kuro-pon?"

"Well, for one, you didn't call me that or any of your other idiotic nicknames. You remembered my real name and called me that for once in your, evidently, miserable life."

He put a sort of an emphasis on the ending words of the sentence. It got me curious.

"What are you talking about, Kuro-crazy?"

"I…"

He paused.

"Do you remember anything that's happened today? Anything you said? I doubt you do."

"Yeah, I don't," I told him honestly. I had a feeling I would be lying very soon. What in the world had I said? "Play it back for me, Kuro-puu," I requested.

"Alright. But you have to answer any questions I have."

"Sure," I agreed. No matter what I had said, I was almost certain I could find a way to "explain" it.

"With all the rain from last night, your hand slipped out of mine as we crossed the stream to try and get to the mountain. The heavy rain made it impossible for you to swim or for me to find you very soon. Eventually, I did find you, and pulled you out of the water."

"You… saved me?" I asked, sounding bewildered, placing my hand on my heart.

"Naw, idiot, I let you drown!"

"No, you saved me! Thank you, Kuro-awesome!"

"Anyway, you were unconscious once I..."

I didn't even mean to, but I began to smirk.

"What the hell is so funny about that? You almost died!" he half-yelled.

"It's nothing. Just keep telling the story."

"When you woke up, you couldn't remember a thing. You were even more of an idiot than usual."

"How did I wake up?" I asked.

"You coughed up the water you had swallowed."

"How did I start coughing?"

"I gave you CPR."

That answer triggered my giggle.

"What in the hell is so funny?"

"I can just imagine Kuro-puu giving me CPR! I bet Kuro-puu enjoyed himself, even while I wasn't awake to kiss back!"

"Oh, shut up! Anyway… this morning when you woke up, you jumped out of my arms and ran away from- _What?_"

He stopped his initial sentence to ask what I was giggling about again.

"Hehehe, even while I'm not in my right mind, Kuro-puu still feels the need to hold me next to him!"

He growled, but I ignored him as I ran my hand that wasn't around his neck up to the side of his face. I gave him another kiss, silencing him, before returning cheek to chest. This kissing business was getting easier and better each time.

"_Anyway_, all you knew were a couple of minor things plus my name, _Kurogane_, and that I "liked to yell". But you didn't know your own name…. You kept calling yourself Yuui. And you said that Fai wasn't you, but your twin."

My heart slammed against me before stopping in it's tracks.

_Oh, no…. No…. I… I really forgot that? W-what else did I forget to lie about?_

"Can you explain that to me, _Yuui_?" he questioned me, beginning what I expected to be a long interrogation.

"I was out of my mind like you said, Kuro-rin!" I said, probably a little over-cheerily.

"Yeah, you were. But something isn't adding up here. You seemed pretty sure of yourself when you kept screaming, 'No, Fai, no, I didn't mean to, I couldn't have!' Now, what were you talking about?"

"Alright, alright, Kuro-smarty, you got me! It's not something I like to talk about, but I suppose I can tell my… boyfriend."

I took a pause to prepare what I was about to say. It wasn't very long before he got impatient.

"Go on."

"I used to have this friend. And his name was Yuui. We were so much alike, in both appearance and personality, that everyone called us twins. However, since we became "twins," people began to not be able to tell us apart. Somehow, I became Yuui, he became Fai. It went on so long, that only my parents called me Fai anymore. I had to learn to answer to Yuui. The real Yuui began to get angry with me because I "stole his identity from him." He said… it was… completely my fault. When I went over to his house to apologize, I ended up saying sorry to his lifeless corpse. He was… killed earlier that day. And that… was how I lost my best friend." I concluded with a sad tone, keeping my head down.

I didn't know if that was the _best_ lie I could have told, but it was the best I could come up with on the spot after having this subject sprung on me by Kurogane. Did he believe it? I couldn't tell. He was silent. I didn't like to lie to Kurogane, but how else would I keep him from knowing what really happened? I was almost certain, even if he didn't believe me, he wouldn't question me further on that subject. Brutal as he is, Kurogane isn't cruel. I knew that. He wouldn't dig deeper into what could possibly be very deep, reopened wounds, especially when it came to losing someone close.

It wasn't a completely made up story. It was just a twist on what had actually happened. The friend was actually my twin. The townspeople not being able to tell us apart thing was completely made up considering they hated us for being twins. Our names were switched, and I was the only one who stole anyone's identity. He didn't do a thing. He didn't even get angry. He was just… and I let him stay.… I sure hoped Kurogane wouldn't ask me any questions. He would be digging into trenches of wounds that until now had been covered up by flimsy bandages with happy faces on them and each day, the bandages had to be replaced.

Kurogane didn't even speak. He just bent down to kiss me on the head, despite my hair being in the way. That was fine with me. Sometimes I really liked how he would show his affection. Like Karolene had said, I was lucky to have him. Very lucky….

Why was I all of a sudden lucky? I never had an ounce of luck ever since my brother and I were born. Why now? And why this? With my lifelong bad luck streak, Kurogane wouldn't be around much longer. There was no question about that. The question was, how would this relationship end? Would he just take what he wanted from me and disappear? Would one of us… die? If that was what was to occur, it would definitely be him. I don't know what could possibly kill Kurogane; an army of a hundred probably wouldn't even get close! But I know I would be the one to suffer. I wouldn't be the one to die instead. I wouldn't be that lucky.

I didn't want to think of my Kuro-puu dying, so I turned to the other alternative. It would be less bad, because the last thing I would want was for Kurogane to be dead, but it would slash a wound almost comparable to the one left by my horrible experience with my brother. Inevitably, our now, for the most part, innocent relationship would turn sexual. Was that all he wanted? I didn't want to consider that, since if he wanted to, he could take my virginity right now and I wouldn't even object, would I? No. I wouldn't. Then he would have gotten what he wanted. Then he would stop having anything to do with me, the unlucky former prince.

There was only one way to avoid, or at least minimize, the pain. I would have to detach myself from him. As soon as possible. Well, as soon as possible would be right now, getting up and leaving his embrace. And I… couldn't do that. Maybe I'd start tomorrow. No, I can't. I have to do it as soon as possible to spare myself the pain. That means our relationship would never progress. Now it could only go backwards.

"Kurogane!" I heard in the distance.

It was Karolene. Perfect timing. I jumped out of Kuro's lap. Like she had said, it hurt her to see other close couples while she struggled to get one of her own in order to see her family again. This way, no one would be hurt. Not me, not Karolene, and definitely not Kurogane.

"Hey, Karolene!" I called to her, seeing her appear from the trees. I waved.

"Fai, you got your memory back!" she began running to me.

We hugged once she reached me.

"I'm so glad the potion worked!" she exclaimed.

"Potion? So that's what helped me remember?"

"Yeah. Didn't Kurogane tell you about it?"

"Nope! Not yet! Why don't you tell me now on our way back to the house, Kuro-tan?"

Kurogane caught up to us.

"Yes, Kurogane, let him know everything that went on!"

We began our trek back toward the stream and Kurogane explained that he had tried to jog my memory by bringing up what very little he knew about me. When we took a short break to eat dinner, Karolene and I worked in a secret mutual pact to get Kurogane to reveal things he tried.

"Awwwww, Kuro-puu kissed me?"

"Shut up and stop interrupting me!"

"How many times, Kuro-puu?"

"I don't know… what does it matter?"

"That means it was a lot!" I laughed. "And after a while I stopped resisting?"

"Yeah."

"Awwwww!" I climbed onto his back. "That means I got to fall in love with Kuro-puu all over again! Too bad I don't even remember it."

_Wait a minute…. Love? Did I just say…? I'm in love with him…? Dammit. Okay, maybe I am in love with Kurogane, but like I said, to minimize the pain, it has to end. Soon._

We reached the stream where Karolene made the announcement that the rope leading into the house had been lost in the storm. She promised to put up another one, but this time, we would have to be lead by her. Just my luck again to have to hang on to the man I'm trying to distance myself from as Karolene led us back into the house.

"Hey, Fai, Kurogane, I've got a little surprise for you two!" Karolene announced.

"Surprise? I like surprises!"

"Ta daaa!"

She had pulled clothes out of the storage room. In one hand she held a pair of shirts and in the other hand, a pair of pants and a skirt.

"Oh, perfect! Thanks, Karolene!" I cried out, running toward the skirt.

"What the hell are you taking the skirt for? That's Karolene's!" Kurogane yelled at me.

"No it's not. He can have it." Karo told Kuro with a smile.

"Yayayayay!" I shrieked, jumping up and down with the skirt and the shirt that matched it. "Where did this all come from?"

"Well, the one thing I love about those terrible storms is that the morning after, I get to reap the benefits. More often than not, some poor ship gets caught in the mess and is pulled toward this island. The loot is, again, more often than not, incredibly bountiful. I would have brought back more, but with your little incident, I couldn't just collect treasures while you were out of your mind!"

"That makes sense. So, there's more?" I asked.

"Of course! We will retrieve the rest tomorrow!"

I ran into my room to change and a few seconds later strutted out like a model. Both garments were too small. The shirt came down to just above my belly button and the skirt was way short on me, but I worked it anyway, cat-walking toward Kurogane, who was looking outraged.

"Take the skirt off, you idiot," he demanded while Karolene laughed at me, entertained.

"But Kuro-puu, I'm not wearing anything underneath!" I tittered naughtily, spinning around to walk back to my room. I could feel his eyes staring at me until I disappeared through the leaves to change back into my boxers.

Did what I just did count as flirting? Ehh, I suppose. But I couldn't resist doing that.

Kurogane's pants didn't fit him. He ended up ripping them.

"Dammit!" he muttered.

The shirt didn't fit either. That ripped as well.

"Shit!" he shouted.

Karolene and I tried to quell our laughter, but it was no use. She ended up on the ground and I had to use the wall for support as Kurogane fumed, telling us both to shut up. We tried, but we couldn't stop laughing. He threw up his arms in defeat and stomped into the "kitchen," just to get away from us.

"Oh, Fai, I just remembered! I have a favor to ask."

"What is it, Karolene?"

"Come on into the mystic chamber. There's a potion I need your help with," she told me as she beckoned me toward the room. We entered and she approached the cauldron in the middle, which was still and reddish.

"This is a new potion that I'm trying. It'll be ready in just a few days, but it requires constant maintenance. In the case that I am not around one day, I entrust these instructions to you."

She picked up a bowl from the shelf.

"See this?" I nodded. "This bowl contains seeds of only the ripest passionfruit from each tree. They are in very limited supply, so I do not want them wasted on an incomplete or bad potion, especially one this special. All that is required is one seed three times per day. In the morning, mid-day, and at night. Make tally marks in the ground below the cauldron each day to show that each seed has been added. Each morning, we can reset the tally marks back to one, and there is no need to stir until night time. Do you understand?"

"Yes, but one thing, Karolene. If I may, what will this potion be for?" I curiously questioned.

"Oh, that's my little secret, Fai! Trust me, you'll know exactly what this is for in a few day's time."

I agreed to comply with Karolene's request, even if I didn't know what the potion was for. Couldn't hurt, right? She was still being hospitable and totally fair. And who was I to say no when she helped me regain my memories?

I entered my room after saying good night to her only to find a lump in my covers. I decided to pretend not to notice it as I turned off the torchlight for the night and climbed into bed.

"I thought you'd never come to bed," the lump said, pulling me from behind so I was close to it.

The lump laid kiss after tender kiss upon my neck as he controlled my position so that my back was against a very warm surface. Did I like it? Of course! But could I allow it? Definitely not.

The lump flipped me around so that I was facing it. The lump exhaled ardor after every subsequent brush of it's lips. I couldn't help but return his touch with a bit of my own, while in the back of my mind I was beating myself internally for each kiss shared. The beatings became more severe as the tongue became involved and even worse as mine shared a dance with it. I didn't mean to grab the lump's hair to gain more control over these happenings. I didn't know what to do when a strong leg wrapped around my lower body. I didn't want a certain part of me to become overly stiff, smashed against this lump's own, but I had no control over that either. Did I have any control over this situation? I didn't even have any control over my brain anymore as two opposing views battled it out without my permission.

_Oh, Kurogane sure does know how to kiss me just right._

_I can't allow this to go on for any longer so that I won't be in an eternal hurt later on…._

_How would it hurt him if I made him stop?_

_Doesn't matter… I need to think of my own feelings. He feels nothing for me anyhow._

_This is making him happy too, I can feel it…!_

_I have got to stop this… right now!_

_He sure is huge down there…._

_I… have… to… stop… this…!_

_I love him so much…._

A palm invaded my boxers from the back.

"Oh, Kurogane!" I piped up, so surprised I forgot to add in the nickname.

"Yes?" he answered me along with a series of smirks and kisses, squeezing my non-face cheek.

"St-… sto-…"

He wouldn't even let me get a word in. Either that or I was breathing too hard to speak.

"Stop… it…." I managed to say quietly in two separate breaths.

"Hmm?" Kurogane responded while pushing up my butt so that our pelvises slammed into each other.

"STOP!" I cried, three times as loudly as I had intended.

I don't know who was more startled, me, Kurogane, or Karolene? I couldn't see nor hear her reaction, but I couldn't imagine that it didn't disrupt her activities. Kurogane's reaction I felt more than anything. Abruptly, all sexual pursuit ceased. He stayed in the same position, but remained completely still aside from his breathing, still with a hint of lechery. I also was unsure of my next move.

"I… I'm sorry, Kuro… I just… I…."

I couldn't finish. I couldn't barely even think, my head was so full of controversy. So full that it pushed out a couple of tears and my entire body started to shake.

Kurogane's hand first left the inside of my boxers and travelled to the small of my back. He deeply exhaled the last bit of lust within him.

"No, _I'm_ sorry," he began. "If you aren't ready for this… it can wait."

I looked up at what I believed to be where his face was. I almost couldn't believe what he was saying. I couldn't help but pull myself into an embrace with this man as more tears came, dripping from the end of my nose onto his. He, of course, felt the warm saltwater and made to dry my face with more kisses until he was certain that every single one was gone.

"Kuro…" I sighed into his neck.

He turned onto his back, making sure that I turned with him and landed my chest on his.

"Now, quit your tears and go to sleep."

I couldn't suppress the smile that came with that statement. But more importantly, his apology. He had said that he was sorry for going so far. What awed me the most though was his mention of… waiting. Waiting until I was ready. It was true, I wasn't quite ready for that sort of contact. But I knew I one day would be. And that day was probably fast approaching with the way things were going lately. It only took Kurogane five days on this island to kiss me. Two days later, there he was, thinking he could touch my butt. Not yet. Like he said, it could wait.

He still had one hand on my waist to secure me at his side. I, slowly, placed a hand over him next to my head, which was right on top of where his heart was. I could have cried some more, just from the joy of being with him like this, but I didn't want him to have to scold me further. Then again, it would give me a chance to hear him talk to me one more time before I went to sleep.

Ahhh…. The withdrawal from Kurogane would just have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

Loved it? I hope so. Hope you guys weren't waiting too long for this! I'm going to try and keep the chapters coming at you like rapid-fire if I can. Please let me know what you guys think and I'll be posting again really soon!

**WAY LATER EDIT: I can't believe I thought of all this... Am I a genius? I must be. Wow. I know a genius!**


	9. Day Eight

This is the quickest I've been! Maybe cause this chapter is fairly short. I dunno. Enjoy!

**Last Time...**

Amnesia Fai woke up only being able to recall a few simple things along with Kurogane's name and his favourite activity: yelling at Fai! Oh yeah, Fai didn't call himself Fai. He called himself Yuui, which was his original name before he decided to take his brother's name. Karolene got a potion ready to help Fai get his memories back while Kurogane tried to get Fai to remember something on his own. That was the only way the potion would work. Kisses didn't work at first, which pissed Kurogane off immensely. With the word "idiot" Fai began to recall things. Like the memories of his brother. Once he remembered that, he broke down crying but Kurogane's kisses calmed him. Karolene walked in on them, but proceeded to give Fai the potion as he relived horrible memories for the third time. Fai passed out. He woke up in Kurogane's arms that evening, who explained to him what had happened. Along with the explanation came questions. And with Kurogane's questions came a lie about who Yuui was. Fai had forgotten to lie while he had amnesia. After the lie, Fai began to seriously question how he was so lucky to even have Kurogane right then. He had never been lucky. He decided that since his luck never lasted for very long that he would have to become detached from his lover in order to decrease the pain later. The relationship would have to move backwards. Karolene came, and they all went home. There was a giant loot from the storm on the beach, Karolene announced. Tomorrow's plan: get the loot and bring it home! Also, Karolene needs Fai's help with a potion. She won't say what it does, but he agrees to help. It was incredibly hard for Fai to detach himself from his lover. When Fai came to bed, Kurogane began kissing him all over. Fai couldn't help but kiss back. Until he went a little too far and touched Fai's bare butt. He yelled for him to stop, and Kurogane honoured his request, apologized, and went to sleep. As much as Fai wanted to get away from him, he loved being next to him. The withdrawal from Kurogane would just have to wait until tomorrow. Which is right now! Let's see what Fai does...

**Day Eight**

All I can see is in front of me is a large, tan, buff man. It's Kuro!

"Kuro!" I call, running in his direction.

An unnatural, plain white background surrounds us. I near him and he holds out his arms for me to jump into.

I leap into him and hang on by his neck. Kurogane swings me around once he catches me.

"Whee!"

"Glad you are enjoying yourself, Monsieur," he says in a thick French accent.

"Yes I am, Kuro-voux! Now, say you love me!"

"Ah, but that alone cannot express how I feel about you, Monsieur! I must kiiss you!"

Kurogane takes me by the arm and begins the kisses from my hand, quickly moving upward until he reaches my neck where he pauses to take a few breaths.

"I love you, Fai," he breathes. "I love you, Monsieur!"

He "kiisses" me repeatedly, quite tenderly, with a tight hold around my entire body. And this can only be expected, he begins frenching me, his tongue so full and alive with lustful energy. I don't do a thing. He takes care of everything until he is through frenching me and holds my hand against his heart. I can really feel it beating.

"Monsieur, you are so tender and soft like escargot!

We'll be together forever, no?

Ah, oui oui!

Of course, we shall be!

For I love you,

And you, (he kisses my hand) love me."

How… poetic!

"You must be touched!"

Kurogane snaps his fingers and my clothes disappear.

"Eeep!" I squeal, covering myself as much as I can. The efforts are futile. Kurogane rips my hands from place and just stares down at me.

I scream.

I woke up with a start. My head jerked upward off of Kurogane's body. It either alerted him that I was awake, or woke him up.

He growled a little, leading me to assume the latter, then lifted his head slightly so he could see me in this relit room.

I pulled myself over to the left so that I was right in the middle of him. My legs fell between his open ones and I let my head rest on my arms on top of him. After situating myself a little more comfortably, I finally gave him a, "Morning, Kuro-cozy! I see someone woke up calm today!"

"Shut up," he mumbled.

I smiled at him and asked him if he had a dream last night. I was thinking of the one I had with the funny, flirty, French version of Kurogane.

"No," he answered. "Did you?"

I had to wait for the giggles to subside in order to reply properly.

"Yes, Kuro-Frenchie!"

"What the hell are you-...? You had a dream I was...?"

"Yep! A flirty, dirty little French version of yourself!" I explained.

An unexpected smirk appeared on his face.

"Tell me about it," he ordered, also unexpectedly. He usually wouldn't care about my dreams. Then again, he was quite interested in that "I'm seme" dream. I decided to tell him all about his French self.

Kuro was snickering by the time I finished the dream.

"So, he calls you Monsieur? And recites poetry?"

I nodded.

"Well, I ain't doing that. And you say he stripped you?"

I nodded a little slower this time.

"I aint doing that either. For now. And you say he French kisses you?"

I nodded vigorously.

"_That_ I can do," he whispered mischievously, putting both arms across my back to drag me forward and secure me down so I would be within kissing distance. I responded with a hand in his hair and the other by his ear.

Kurogane had neglected to directly say a "Good morning" to me today. I suppose this was his way of saying it, with his tongue. He was using a lot more than usual. I suppose in an attempt to compete with French Kurogane.

"Can he do _that_?" Kurogane asked me after ending our morning kiss. Our noses touched.

"Nope! You win, Kuro-competitive!"

"Quit it with the nicknames. And stop your squirming!"

"I have to go potty!"

"Tch! Then what are you laying on top of me for? Go!"

"Can't. Kuro's too comfy!" I explained, as if I made any sense.

"I swear, Fluorite, if you even so much as think about pissing on me, I'll make sure you'll never have the ability again. Now, get off!"

"I know that you aren't a Kuro-potty, but you're still securing me down to you, Kuro-pii!"

He unhanded me so fast one would've thought I didn't even try to make it out of the house and had already went.

"Now, go!"

I was only teasing the tan man. I wouldn't dare use him or the ground inside the house as a toilet. I suppose he didn't understand that though, since when I checked to see if Karolene had taken care of her potion this morning, he went off on me and began carrying me away. I suppose he was afraid I wouldn't make it. He followed me out of the water and above sea level, making sure I didn't have any accidents in the water supply.

"I can't go potty with Kuro-peeking!"

"I'm not!" he yelled, stopping in his tracks.

Once Kurogane had disappeared from view, I decided it was safe to find a good spot.

I thought about French Kurogane and how he had stripped me without so much as a touch, warning, or, really, provocation! But he sure did know how to make me feel good!

Then I thought about the real Kurogane. Brutal, loud, full of fury, and never saying a pretty word to me. But also caring, sensual, and even if he never said so, loving.

As soon as the word "loving" entered my brain, it took me back to yesterday and the forgotten task at hand. I almost smacked myself on the forehead for letting it so easily slip my mind. Again. This was getting ridiculous. I'm not supposed to be trying to further the relationship! I can't kiss that guy anymore!

Well... maybe just one more. I need to give myself a farewell. Yes, I'd let him kiss me one more time today. And after that, never again. I would have to resist... no matter how enticing his touch was.

It's for your own good... It's for the best... No more pain...

I kept telling myself that, but part of me did _not_ want to let Kurogane go. It didn't care about the risks. It was prepared to take whatever relationship-related obstacle that would come as a result.

The dominating part of me, using many painful memories of losses, convinced me that even _one_ more kiss was pushing it. It would only drag on the hurt. It was best to cut him off as quickly as possible. He wouldn't care, right? He probably isn't even gay! ...Right?

"All better, Kuro-pii!"

"Good. Now let's go to Karolene," he said, leading the way to the northernmost part of the island where, I suppose, he thought she was.

"How do you know she's over here?" I questioned, stopping.

"She told me where she would be earlier before you woke up. Now, come on!"

He grabbed my hand and tugged me along. I smiled.

"Why is Kuro-sweetie holding my hand?"

"I'm not!" He threw my hand away from him. "I'm trying to get you to hurry the hell up and stop falling behind like you're doing now!"

"This didn't happen when Kuro-sweetie and I were holding hands!"

"Stop it, idiot," Kurogane demanded.

"Stop it, Yuui," a voice inside my head also demanded.

It made me stop short. Right. Keep my distance. No holding hands. Or joking about holding hands. I took the first step to break the unrelenting cycle of distress.

We reached the edge of the jungle where we could see the beach once again. We could also see a big mess. Many assorted items had washed up on the beach. Karolene was gathering what she thought would be useful.

"Guys! Over here!" she called.

We went over to her.

"This is why I love big storms. Ships at sea crash and we get to keep their stuff!"

I was appalled at that statement, however true. It seemed a little bit heartless to me, but there was nothing we could do about the storm or the lives lost. So we might as well benefit, right?

"Help yourselves! Just take anything you like that you think might be useful!"

Helped ourselves we did. I found several things of interest to me. There was an untitled book. I found a maraca and a pretty necklace. And another. Then I found the match to the maraca. As for clothes, aside from a pair of pants with a hole in an oh, so convenient spot on the front, most of them were unwearable. Not because they looked bad, but they were in shreds. I collected these scraps of cloth anyway in hopes of maybe making some use of them. Same with the shackles and chains. The only other thing that I knew had a practical use was the wool scarf I found. Other than the fact that it was wet and salty, it was perfectly fine.

Kurogane didn't seem to be hoarding much. I suppose nothing interested or fit him. He gathered a small pile of silverware, but that was it. I went over to check on him.

"Is this all you found, Kuro-rin?"

"Yeah. What, is there a problem? Other than that stupid nickname?"

"Nope! No problems whatsoever! Just checking on you, Kuro-grumpy!"

"You idiot… shut up with those stupid names!" he snarled, clenching his fists.

I smiled up at him innocently. When he unclenched his fist, I became a little curious, because he only let go of one. The other one stayed in a tight ball. Was he holding something?

"What's in your hand, Kuro-puu?"

"Nothing," Kurogane, probably lied, turning away from me and walking away.

"What is it, Kuro-sneaky? What's in your hand?" I asked, following him like a curious cat.

"Get away!" he shouted, putting whatever it was in his pocket.

I decided not to pester him further. My tummy was begging me for food and I didn't even realize it until I stopped working. I told Kuro and Karo I was going to get food and bring it back.

It was late afternoon by the time we finished eating the guava and papaya meal. It was a pretty quiet dinner for Kurogane and I. We were for the most part listening to all of the great things Karolene had found from these storms over the years. Apparently, that was the worst one she had seen in years, but she didn't mind because we were unharmed (aside from the amnesia) and it brought in a humungous bounty.

I gave a small burp as we got up to transport what we wanted into the house to store. There was _a lot_ of stuff. Some of it, like the cloth and whatever Kuro had in his pocket, were easy to carry. But other larger things were not. It took several trips. How it worked was Kurogane and I carried the various items over to the stream where Karolene picked them up and took them inside of the house. We conversed.

"So! What's in your pocket, Kuro-puu?"

"Nothing!" he bellowed, exasperated. I had asked him that about five times already.

"Okay, okay…. So, Kuro-puu, what did you do in your country?"

"What?" he asked.

"I'm curious. What did you do?" I repeated.

"What's it to you?"

"I'm just wondering!"

"I was the protector Princess Tomoyo."

"Oh, her? That girl you claim to keep seeing all over the place?"

"Shut up, idiot," Kurogane demanded for the thousandth time.

"Who is she to you?" I asked.

"None of your damn business. Now stop asking me all of these pointless questions!"

I stayed silent because my heart had dropped. I should have known. She must be his current girlfriend. The fifth one. Boyfriends _do_ tend to protect their girlfriends. And she was a princess. No wonder he was so bent on going back. He wanted to marry her and be king of whatever place he came from. And who was I to get in the way of that?

Although… this did make Kurogane a cheater. Whether he liked me or not (and he did not), he had been unfaithful to this Tomoyo character. He had kissed me. A lot. And I liked it. A lot. But this stopped here. Who was I to destroy a perfectly good heterosexual relationship? Sure, I didn't know of it until now, but now that I did know, I couldn't continue to tear their relationship apart. No matter how much it tore me apart.

No. This would not tear me apart…. This was the incentive I needed to get away from this man. Plus, if he would cheat on a _princess_, just imagine what he would do to _me_. With that temper of his… I'd dare say he would abuse me! Yes. This is definitely for the best.

Kurogane and I dropped off our loads in front of the stream for Karolene to collect and we went back for more items.

I wonder what Tomoyo sees in him…. What would make her choose _him_ as a companion for life? Maybe it wasn't her choice. But if it was… it must be his roguishly handsome face. Or those broad shoulders. Or those strong arms. Or even his manly, tanly, torso. Oh, how I loved to touch him. But he wasn't mine to touch. He was hers.

But what if those weren't the reasons for her attraction? Sure, there was more to Kurogane than his freakish good looks. There was his caring nature. Sure, he would never admit that is was there, but it was. Even if he doesn't want a romantic relationship with me, he did save me from drowning in the storm that was the cause for these back and forth trips. He also protected me when I pretended to be afraid of the cannibals. Those might have just been opportunities to gain some man-points for himself. There was also his loyalty. He showed plenty of that. And he's a skilled samurai. I'll bet he's indestructible.

I wonder if he ever yelled at Tomoyo? Nah, I doubt it. She doesn't seem like she would get on his nerves enough for him to have to do that. He didn't yell at Syaoran. He didn't even _talk_ to Sakura. He talked to me plenty, but over half of it was yelling.

I didn't even want to think about what made Kurogane like her. She was pretty enough. Looked like a sweet girl. Was that what Kurogane was into? Either way, he wasn't in to me.

Kurogane and I began to gather more of the beached supplies. Then we headed back to complete our second trip.

Why did _I_ like Kurogane? Other than the fact that he's really one of the only things keeping me alive, there was the personality. Once I got past the yelling, which I've pretty much always been immune to, I could see through it all and into his real character which consisted of nothing but a good heart and a desire to protect.

With that, he also came with a nice body. Oh, who am I kidding, a hot, sexy, irresistible body! The kind I never got tired of seeing the shape of, feeling the warmth of, or laying on top of. I would have to get used to not seeing it, feeling it, and most of all, laying on top of it. That was Tomoyo's job.

"Oi, Fluorite, watch where you're going!" Kurogane called to me, bringing me out of deep thought.

I was two steps away from falling into a hole and probably stabbing myself with this silverware.

Now that Kurogane was no longer supposed to be a factor in my life, stabbing didn't seem like such a bad idea. But I couldn't die yet, since there was something I still had to do. I would have to wait until I reunited with my brother. And by then, there would be no reason to die. And yet….

We dropped off our goods and turned back for the last time.

Life without my brother was unbearable enough, but life without Kurogane too…? And to think, I thought he actually liked me. Maybe even loved me. How foolish. How absolutely stupid of me. No one has ever loved me except for my brother. And no one but Fai and King Ashura have ever showed me real kindness. Until this journey began. Sakura, Syaoran, Mokona, and Kuro-pii seemed to like me. And I liked all of them. But I wasn't into girls, and even if I was, Sakura and Syaoran make too good of a couple for me to try to interfere with them. And Mokona… no. The only one left was Kurogane.

"Fluorite, pay attention to what's in front of you!"

I, once again, avoided falling into a ditch.

"You sure are out of it. What is with you today?"

"Nothing's wrong, Kuro!" I blatantly lied. Well, to me it was blatant. Kurogane didn't say anything more on the subject.

We reached the northern shores and collected the last of the stuff.

He was the only one for me, and that couldn't be helped. I had finally come to terms with the fact that I was in love with him. Enough trying to stop it, I fucking loved Kurogane. What I had to accept was the fact that as much as I wanted him, I couldn't have him. Hell, he probably wasn't even gay, much less gay for me.

Were those first seven days on this island going to be the highlight of my life? Was that all the happiness I got in this lifetime? Was it all downhill from here…?

"Fluorite!" Kurogane exclaimed.

His loud voice startled me and I dropped a little of what I was carrying.

"What the hell is the matter with…?"

He stopped. Crap. He had seen.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" he repeated, dropping what he was carrying, luckily not fragile, and rushed over to me.

"Talk, you little liar!" he dictated.

I thought I had been able to control my tears until he grabbed my shoulders roughly, trying to get something out of me. I don't know how I was able to resist telling all, but I had gotten this far, hadn't I?

"I just got sand in my eyes," I said, rubbing them with one hand.

"Bull shit," he said slowly.

_Damn._

"Come on, Karolene is waiting for us," I told Kurogane, regaining my composure.

He glared at me.

"I'm fine, Kuro-puu! Now, let's go!"

I began picking up what I dropped, but he just stood there in the same spot, right beside me. It was a little scary.

"No," he finally said. "You're not fine. I don't know how stupid you think I am, but I'll be damned if you think I'll fall for that idiotic lie. Now tell me what's bothering you, or I'll beat it out of you!"

I paused, stopping the recollection. I just stared down at the ground, letting tears fall from the end of my nose. Even if I wanted to speak, I couldn't. My vocal chords were tied up.

Kurogane stooped down so we were almost eye-level when he turned my face toward his. It was futile, but I was still attempting to control my crying.

He kissed me. No tongue, it was a "calm the fuck down and cheer the hell up" kiss. Then he wiped my eyes with his thumbs.

I couldn't help myself. I attacked the man. Either he lost his balance or he allowed me to climb on top of him for another set of kisses. Tongue this time. I was no longer the deep-thinker Fai that I had been for the past few hours. I was impulsive Fai, not giving a thought to anything I was doing.

He put his hands on my lower back and rubbed. He enjoyed himself thoroughly, as did I. Our tongues fought vigorously for a while once he slipped past my teeth again. He even grabbed my bare bottom for the second time. No protests from me, the impetuous Fai.

Once he calmed down a little, he flipped over so that he was on top and began nipping at my neck. All I could do was lay back under his hand and breathe. I had both hands on his chest and he had one hand on mine. I was in heaven.

He lowered himself, but couldn't get very far before a certain part of me forced him to stop.

"You liked that a lot, Fluorite?"

Kurogane was aware of my erection before I was. I looked down at myself, blushing.

"Is this all? You were just lonely and wanted some attention?"

He looked down at me, waiting for a response, but all he got was more tears as I began to regain control of my mind. He wiped those up too and kissed me some more. My throat was still clogged, but my mind was clear. With every extra kiss I allowed Kurogane to have, I was failing myself.

"Idiot," he snickered. "I don't know why the hell you'd do this to yourself, but whatever you've been depriving yourself of we can make up for. Tonight."

Ignoring what was blocking his way, his hips descended onto mine. He was probably beginning to get hard too. More kisses came as he tried to stop the tear flow.

I don't know what made him get off of me, but he finally did. Maybe because he felt the tears stop.

"Come on, let's hurry up and get back," he said, gathering his things.

I didn't cry anymore for the rest of the way back to the house, but all I could do was beat myself up for letting that happen. I said I would allow myself one kiss goodbye, but I got about a hundred. I'm not even kidding, it was close to a hundred kisses in just a few short minutes. My boner had gone down, but I felt it ready to spring right back up every time I so much as glanced in Kurogane's direction and saw that body of his. Gah, I'm such a wimp….

Once we dropped off the rest of the materials, Karolene decided to come up for some air and dinner. Karolene whispered to me when Kurogane wasn't looking that she had checked on Syaoran and Sakura today. They also seemed to be developing some sort of relationship. It was quite innocent, she said. Of course it was. I was happy that they were happy, but I wished deep inside that I could have that sort of happiness and someone to love and care for me. Not just pretend to.

We ate.

We went back underground.

Karolene and I went to check on the potion together which she said was very, very close to being ready.

This I also couldn't help. I ended up spilling my guts to that girl. Telling her my whole situation. Not all of it, just the surface stuff. Just the part about me knowing Kurogane didn't really love me. The rest was bottled up pretty tight.

"Kurogane's right," she began. "You really _are_ an idiot."

I was taken aback. I didn't expect that sort of response, especially from her.

"You don't know how he feels? You _really_ don't know?"

I didn't speak.

"He loves you, Fai!" she whispered so that Kurogane wouldn't hear, wherever in the house he was.

I blinked.

"He… said that to you?" I asked, knowing Kurogane would never readily admit affection toward anything.

"Well, no, Fai. I think we both know that. But I can tell! Woman's intuition," she told me, pointing to her head.

I was baffled that he tricked the mermaid this much as well. No way this was true. I had already established that.

Even still, once I said good night to Karolene and went into my room, there was Kurogane again. Not one night had he slept in his own room assigned to him. He had left the light on, I suppose so I wouldn't trip and fall, but I turned it off and got into bed. Maybe he was asleep enough not to try anything.

"You finally came," he whispered into my ear, taking me from behind. "You ready for some more "attention?"

"No," I said shortly. I was finally ready to take a stand… sort of.

"What?"

"I don't want to," I said as coldly as I could manage, leaving his arms, as much as I wanted to stay near his body heat.

"Why not? I thought-"

"No, okay? I said no. I was hoping you would respect that."

He hesitated.

"I'll just go to sleep then," he said, disappointment flooding his voice no matter how much he tried to keep it out. He retreated his hands and flipped onto his back so he could fall asleep.

I couldn't sleep. Hours must have passed. Refusing kisses from Kurogane was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, along with leaving my dear brother. I began to cry again. And shake. But Kurogane didn't stir.

I nearly lost my breath when I remembered one important thing I had almost forgotten to check for. But first I had to check if Kurogane was asleep. I made various movements that would help me detect his consciousness. I knew he was a pretty light sleeper, but perhaps he was as deep in light sleep as he could get.

Once I was on my other side, facing Kurogane, I deduced that he was sleeping enough to try this.

I slowly reached out my hand to find his boxers. Once the tip of my finger felt the fabric, I lightly touched his side until I found the pocket.

_Bingo._

I felt a hard object inside. It seemed very small. (No, I'm not talking about his dick, you pervs. This is his pocket.) I felt around some more. The object seemed… round? No, there's a hole. What in the world was this?

I knew it was a stretch, but I could make up a lie if I got caught. Lying to Kurogane would be a piece of cake considering he was always lying to me. I found the entrance to his pocket and slowly reached inside. Luckily for me, the pocket hole was wide enough for me to not touch him much as I tried to retrieve his secret.

I pulled it out. I felt it twice over before I finally accepted what it was. Even then, I still couldn't believe it.

A ring. Kurogane had salvaged a ring for his Tomoyo. Tears again.

How dare he. How dare he lead me on for this long, making me believe he love me, then thinking I was a fool and wouldn't find out. And then he had the nerve request sexual favors from me? No! I won't let this go on! Keep your stupid ring, Kurogane, but I am going to at least keep what's left of my dignity.

I put the ring back in the man's pocket and draw back my arm, figuring out where it would strike. I launched it forward and punched Kurogane in the jaw.

* * *

O.O Fai did _whaaat_? What in the world is going through that idiot's head? Even _I'm_ a mad at him! Gosh, Fai! Find out what Kurogane does to Fai in the next installment! And just so you know, I'm going to love writing this part so it should be here soon! Let me know what you think! Encouragement helps! A LOT.

**WAY LATER EDIT: So depressing... but we all know what's coming next!**


	10. Day Eight, Part Two

Hmmm…. I'm feeling this story as more of an angsty romance than a romantic comedy now. What do you think? Should I change the genre?

**What Happened To That Idiot…?**

Fai had a dream about a French Kurogane. He frenched him, recited a love poem, and snapped his fingers so he could see Fai naked. Fai tried to cover himself, but couldn't. He woke from the dream with a start, which also woke Kurogane. When Fai told Kurogane about the dream, he began to compete with French Kurogane by using more tongue than usual. Fai had to go potty, so they left the house, Fai went, and they went to the northern shores of the island to meet up with Karolene. She told them to help themselves to the beached items. After they finished collecting and eating, it was Kuro and Fai's job to transport the stuff back to the stream so that Karolene could pick it up and take it into the house. Fai was deep in thought the whole time after asking Kurogane what he did in his country. He protected Princess Tomoyo. That idiot immediately reached the conclusion that Tomoyo must be Kurogane's fifth girlfriend. That made him a cheater because he was kissing Fai all the time, but Fai decided this was the incentive he needed to leave him. He thought about what she would see in him (a lot) and what he saw in her. Then he began to wonder what _he_ saw in _Kurogane_. He began to almost welcome death again, even though he still wants to see his brother, but he couldn't bear life without both Kurogane _and_ his twin. Kurogane found Fai crying and demanded answers. When no answers came, even after a threat, he resorted to a kiss. Fai couldn't help but body slam Kurogane to get more action. Kurogane concluded that Fai just wanted some attention and was too afraid to ask. He promised to make up for what Fai had been deprived of. That night. When they met back up with Karolene, she told Fai about Sakura and Syaoran's budding innocent relationship. While checking on the potion, Idiot Fai just had to tell Karolene that he didn't think Kurogane really loved him. Karolene called Idiot Fai an idiot, saying of course he did! Idiot Fai didn't believe her. He thought she had been tricked as well. Kuro was in Fai's bed again. And he refused to let Kurogane touch him. Kurogane didn't protest for long, but was very disappointed. It was very hard for Idiot Fai to resist. He cried again. Then carefully reached out to touch his pocket to find what he had been hiding. A ring. Idiot Fai assumed it was for Tomoyo. "How dare he lead me on!" he thought. He punched Kurogane in the jaw.

Oh my Mokona! Holy Syaoran! For Sakura's sake, Fai! Stop being so stupid! I guess you do have to be a _little_ sympathetic though, considering the reasons Fai is doing all these crazy things. Even still… at least we all know better. Let us continue.

**Day Eight, Part Two**

My fist collided with his face. The anger came immediately.

"AHHHH!" he screamed. "_What the hell?_ What the hell was that for?"

He leaped out of bed and stormed out of the room. I couldn't see him, but I could hear perfectly. He was grabbing a torch from the foyer to relight the one in this room.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked me in an angry tone.

I admit, I was a little intimidated, but not enough to hold back. This had to be said.

"You don't love me," I spat. "I'm just a here and now for you, aren't I? You really just want to get as far away from me as possible as soon as you can to get back to_ Tomoyo_. You've just been leading me on because you knew I was stupid enough to fall for it…." I trailed off. I didn't know what to say next.

"What?" He was in disbelief.

"You heard me! I figured it all out! So why don't you just spare me the pain and stop trying to make me think you love me because I know you don't!" I yelled at him, exasperated.

He stared at me for the longest time before speaking again.

"You… don't think I love you?" he nearly whispered, beginning to walk toward me.

"You don't think I love you?" he repeated, though a lot louder. He was at the side of the bed next to me with his hands on his hips.

I looked up at him, trying to appear angry even though all I felt was sadness knowing that he was about to admit the truth to me.

Instead of admitting anything to me, all I got was a full blown punch to the face. I flew backward across the bed with the right half of my face in pain and the half that could think in shock. I looked up at him, holding my hurting face.

"What the hell, Fai? I risk my life to pull you out of that storm and you don't think I love you? We sleep in the same bed together and you don't think I love you?"

I watched Kurogane carefully, seeing his chest rise and fall as he breathed heavily, awaiting my response. I didn't say anything, letting the silence and my facial expression speak for me. They must not have said much.

"What the hell makes you think I don't love you? Talk, dammit! What the hell have I done?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but I had to pause. That was a very good question he had asked. When I thought about it, he hadn't actually _done_ anything. All of these feelings had come from my own figurings deduced from my observations and unlucky past that there was no way he saw anything but an irritating magician in me.

"Well… it's not you, actually. It's me, I guess…."

"Damn right I haven't done anything to you. What are you thinking, you idiot? Why, Fai?"

He sounded… hurt! And he had said my name!

"I… I can't tell you all the details. But I've never really been lucky, or loved, or wanted. And I was just thinking… why now? And why you? I have no idea what you see in me when half the time you're screaming at me. I just… can't believe it might be real!"

"Pshh! Believe it, Fai," he said, interrupting me. "And why can't you tell me the details? I think you owe me an explanation as to why you're thinking like this, shitwit."

The new nickname actually stung a little, but I suppose couldn't blame him since I never called him by his name.

"I... I can't say," I told him.

"Why the hell not?"

"It's... too painful. Too personal," I said shortly.

"And you don't think _this_ is painful? I mean, look at all I've done for you these past few days. Look at all _we've_ done. And you have the nerve to say that I don't love you? Are you just fucking with me, Fluorite?"

"No..."

"Then what the fuck is the problem?"

"Because almost no one has ever wanted me," I half screamed at him, exasperated. "And look at you! You can get whoever you want! You've had four girlfriends already! But me…? Nobody wants me…."

Wow. I couldn't believe what I had just said. I had just opened up! Somehow, he had cracked me. I also couldn't believe I wasn't crying. Was I out of tears? I hadn't even thought about lying to him. I couldn't tell another lie to that face.

I was struck again. On the same cheek. No, I wasn't out of tears. A couple came, but I wasn't sobbing.

"Stop that!" I yelled, trying to rub the pain away from my face. I couldn't for long because Kurogane had soon pinned me down. Both arms were secured to the bed under Kurogane's grasp and he straddled himself over me so I couldn't get away.

"Listen to me, Fai. You're being an idiot. Just because no one wanted you then doesn't mean that no one wants you now!"

"But-"

"Shut up!" he exploded, still looking hurt. "Maybe you're not used to it, but you're gonna have to learn to be!"

He was breathing heavily. I didn't squirm or try to get away for fear that he would hit me again.

He continued.

"Now cut the bull crap and stop thinking all these idiotic thoughts making you believe that I don't love you!"

Kurogane was breathing heavily from his many outbursts and I was also breathing deeply from what I had just heard. Had he just professed his love for me? This couldn't be some false confession. No way it was.

"You… love me?" I exhaled.

"Duh, Fai!"

"But… why?"

I had to know why.

"Because… I just do, alright? Now cut this shit out right now!"

He had never admitted he loved me before! Granted, it hasn't been that long, but I loved him too. Despite whatever I thought about Tomoyo or anyone else, I still loved Kurogane.

"But what about Tomoyo? Aren't you… cheating on her?"

"No, you freakin' idiot! She isn't my girlfriend! I'm just her protector, like I told you earlier! I'm like her body guard."

Why had I never considered that possibility?

"Just her body guard?"

"Yes!"

"You don't have romantic feelings for her?"

"No!"

"Only… me…?"

"Only you," he said, lowering himself to meet my anxious lips.

There was no way he was faking this. These were Kurogane's genuine feelings.

And he was right, I was an idiot. How could I have ever let anything get in the way of my relationship with Kurogane?

He pulled out of the kiss and met my eyes. He also stopped holding my arms down.

"I'm sorry, Kurogane…. I love you. I love you so much and… I'm so sorry."

As I whispered the last apology, touching his cheek, the second apology nearly got caught in my throat on its way out as I began to sob. I felt horrible for what I had put him through.

I began to imagine how I would feel if Kurogane had done something of this nature to me. It was one of the worst feelings I had yet felt. I couldn't believe I had actually inflicted this pain on another human being, the one I loved and cared for the most in this world.

"I've hurt you," I choked out. "Haven't I?"

"Quit your crying," he told me, wiping a tear from where he had not long ago punched me.

I was hurting him without even meaning to. Just by crying and being sad. Well, now I had no doubt. He really did love me.

"Just as long as you never think anything that stupid again."

"I won't," I sniffled. "I promise."

"Good."

Kurogane got off of me and sat next to me. He pulled me upward into his arms and onto his lap, cradling me there like a small child. Words could not express how happy I was that he had forgiven me and was holding me in his warm, loving embrace. I nuzzled him. And guess what? No tears!

As we sat there, for however long, all I could think about was how stupid I had been for pushing him away. Never would I make that mistake again. Kurogane was _mine_. And I was his.

"Fai?" he said out of the blue.

"Yes, Kuro-cuddly?"

I slid my hand up his body and neck to the cheek that I hit. I kissed it.

"Sorry I hit you," we both said to each other at right about the same time. We both smiled and gave a small laugh.

"Continue," I told him.

"How long had you been torturing yourself like that?" he inquired. "I only began noticing today, but I feel like it's been going on for longer."

"You're such a Kuro-smartie," I said, a little downcast.

"Hey, look at me," he instructed me. I complied. "How long has this been going on?"

"I had been having these thoughts since yesterday. But I couldn't bring myself to act on them until earlier today."

"Tch. Idiot," he called me for the hundredth time.

"Can I ask _you_ something, Kuro?"

"What?"

"You remember the third day we were here? And we saw those three savages?"

"Yeah…?" he said, curious as to where I was going with this.

"Did you really believe I was afraid of them?"

A smug smile appeared on his face.

"No."

I was surprised. But he explained before I asked him to.

"If they would have come over there, you know as well as I do that we could have taken them down and gotten away before the other three hundred of them showed up. And that was before we even knew about them. I put on my acting skills too that day."

Wow. He knew I was pretending.

"Why did you?" I asked him.

"Well… I didn't want to call you out on it! Then you'd look not only like an idiot, but a liar too."

Haha, if only he knew.

"Sure, but that's not the only reason! You waited for it to get dark on purpose! It was just your excuse to get into the hammock with me!"

"Whatever," he grumbled.

"Wait, I'm not done yet! I have another question!"

I got a little more comfortable. I could tell this was going to be very fun if I kept asking questions like this.

"Remember a couple of days ago when we woke up and you obviously had a really sexy dream and-"

"Stop," he interrupted.

"But you-!"

"No. It's my turn anyway," he said.

"Fine…" I said, giving up. I was really curious about that dream. "What is your question?"

"Did you really think that I would leave you for Karolene?"

Good question, Kuro-puu.

"Ehh… not _really_, but there was a small little piece of my mind that couldn't help but wonder, especially because she was being flirtatious, if maybe-"

"No," he, again, interrupted. "Not at all, got it? Don't you make me hit you again."

"Okay, okay, Kuro-violence!"

"I might hit you just because of the stupid nickname…."

I laughed a little and shifted my position so that I had one leg on either side of Kurogane and, consequently, my privates right in front of his. I gave a small kiss before asking my next question. Before I did, he announced that he had a question to ask me afterwards.

"Y'know that day you went fishing? Then you went for a walk? I heard you saying some… things. What were those things? Was there something wrong?"

He began to look a little awkward, not looking at me. I tried to get him to look at me, but he wouldn't.

"Come on, Kuro. You can tell me!"

He stayed silent, taking one hand off of me and running it through his hair. I leaned in with a hand on his chest to physically coerce him. It worked.

"I wasn't sure I was… y'know… not straight," he confessed. I gaped as he continued. "I was thinking about past relationships, what I wanted, and if you could give that to me. I was thinking about it all that day, but by the end of the night, I was sure."

I looked at him with the "continue, please" face.

"Well, what do _you_ think the conclusion was?" he said, answered my silent question.

"That you like it when I do this!"

I craned my neck so I could reach his lips. When I came back down, I saw his small smirk had gotten slightly smirkier.

"And while we're on this subject," I began again "I really hate what those savages did to us."

"What do you mean?" Kurogane looked puzzled.

"They delayed our first kiss, Kuro-puu!" I reminded him, twisting and looking down shyly.

"Oh. Yeah. What took you so long to make a move after the first kiss?"

I blinked. The question was a little shocking. Of course I knew he noticed, but I didn't think he might ask about it. I felt a little uncomfortable answering, but it wouldn't be fair for me not to considering how he was opening up to me. I knew this was a once in a blue moon occurrence, so I had to make the best of it.

"Well… it's just that I didn't want to do anything wrong. I mean, you're so much more… experienced than I am."

"Heh. Not _that_ much more."

"Oh?" I was surprised. "Then how much more _do_ you have? With your past… relationships."

"They've all tried to kiss me. I didn't feel right kissing any of them, so I actually never did. So the only thing that has ever happened was my stalker of an ex tried to reach down my pants and spy on me in the shower, that horny bitch. Then the second girl tried to get me in bed the very same day _she_ cheated, that other horny bitch."

I could tell bringing up the old memories was painful and making him angry.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Kuro-tan," I reassured him to calm him down a little.

"Yeah, but you're the only one I've dated who has called me ridiculous nicknames."

I gave him a big grin and a giggle before resting my upper body on his, trying to think of another question to ask. One instantly came into my head when Kurogane's hands travelled below my waist in order to push my lower half forward toward him.

"Oh! Question!" I exclaimed, lifting my chest off of him. "This isn't the first time you've touched my butt, is it, Kuro-puu?"

"No?"

I began to smile a little more. Kurogane was looking curious. His hand was still on my bottom.

"That morning I woke you up, it was because you touched my bum, Kuro-puu!"

"Yeah, and you _woke me up_!" he said, stressing the second half of the sentence.

"No I didn't," I told him. "You were already awake and rolled on top of me! Then you just pretended that you were asleep! I know it! Am I right?"

Him not answering was enough for me.

"Ha!" I laughed, now knowing for certain. "Well, I've _seen_ your butt, Kuro-tan!"

His eyes widened a tad. I didn't keep him in suspense.

"Hehe! I woke up in the hammock early one morning and you were taking a bath! Then you turned around and I got to see your Kuro-bum-bum!"

"And what else did you see?"

"Oh, nothing! I couldn't bring myself to risk it," I told him truthfully.

Another smirk.

"So you're saying you _would_, if you _could_?" Kuro asked me.

"Well…" I looked down bashfully, beginning to blush. "You'd probably make me let you see mine too!" I knew I didn't want that.

"It's only fair!" he reasoned.

I suddenly became incredibly conscious of myself. The way I was sitting on his lap, he would devirginize me if we weren't wearing our boxers.

"You're just like Kuro-Frenchie! Only he only snapped his fingers and my clothes disappeared."

"And what did he do to you?"

"Nothing, really. Except he made sure I couldn't cover myself and then he just… stared!"

More Kuro-snickering.

"You might be an idiot, but I think you know I wouldn't just stare and do nothing."

Still touching my bottom, he put the other hand around my lower back and pulled me as close as I could come so our tongues would be within touching distance. He practically made love to my mouth, he was so sensual with it. His slow, precise movements were an incredible turn on.

I could see the longing in his eyes and feel it with the way he was kissing me. I knew where he was steering the conversation, but I didn't know how to respond to that. I just knew I didn't think I was ready for Kurogane to see me nude yet. He knew he had the body of a male underwear model, but I knew I hated my body and everything about it. I felt like I owed him for the pain I caused him though. After all, we did love each other. I was torn.

Kurogane released his hold on the back of me to focus his hands on the front of me as he began to undo my boxer buttons.

"Woah, woah, wait! What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, idiot mage?"

"No, no, don't do that, Kuro-hasty!" I scooted away from him to the other side of the bed. "I don't… think I'm ready for that…."

He crawled after me. On all fours like a dog, he stood over me. I was on my back.

"If I remember correctly, _someone_ was needy earlier and got a little frisky. Now, _who_ was that?" he asked me rhetorically, but perhaps still wanting an answer.

I didn't give him one.

"And if I also remember correctly, _another_ someone promised to make up for what the other person had been _depriving himself of all day_."

He pecked at my neck and face until I finally decided what I wanted to say.

"It's not that I don't want to… I do!" I started. "It's that… I don't want you to be disappointed."

"Disappointed at what?"

I began choosing my words carefully.

"How my body looks," I timidly told him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… look at you, look at me."

"I _am_ looking at you. There isn't very much of you I haven't seen already. Why would you think the little I haven't seen would make me stop loving you? Is this because of another one of your idiotic theories?"

I shook my head, knowing he was right, and trying to shake off the self-doubt.

"Good, so what's the problem?"

When I didn't answer, he assumed that there was no problem and he began undressing me. I bit my lip. Once he saw, there was no turning back.

Now that I was naked, I couldn't help but situate my weenie in between my legs, concealed from view, as I sat on my side in the foetal position. Kurogane was getting impatient as he rolled me like a ball so I sat on my butt, facing him.

"Fluorite, stop thinking you aren't good enough for me!"

"I didn't say that!"

"That's not what your actions are saying. I already told you, Fai. I love you. So you'd better get used it it and get over your insecurities so you can love me back!"

He leaned forward to kiss me into a calmer state. It wasn't too rough, but not exactly soft either. In other words, it was just what I needed to give in. Man, was that tongue of his persuasive. He knew it was time, and now I did too.

**Okay, if you're paying attention at all, you know exactly where this is going. They're about to have sex. And if you've ever read any of my other Kurogane/Fai sex scenes (like in Fai's Class, for example) you know exactly how it's gonna go down. Dirty, kinky, and erotic. I told you I would warn you, so here is your warning. If you don't exactly enjoy that sort of thing, please skip ahead to the post-orgasm conversations. There will be a line separating the sex from the… not sex. Alright, here we go!**

With his two strong hands between my knees, he pried my legs apart, fully exposing me. I suppose that last kiss had made me pretty happy, because I was not at all limp down there.

I stiffened even more when his hand began sliding up and down the entire thing, stimulating the fast heart beats and sexual gratification. His fingers tapped and stroked the very end, producing an innumerable amount of groans. He continued stroking me until he stopped at the bottom. Kurogane's face got closer as if it was beckoning him forward.

I gasped. He had put me in his mouth, getting me all wet and even harder, as he slid up and down just a little. I didn't know what to do as my mid section began to get heated. A mixture of incredible pleasure and an unknowingness filled me to the brim. I had to close my eyes to try and keep my composure.

I shuddered as his tongue ran up my length. He was really taking his time, not missing a single spot, and also stroking me with the thumb of the one hand he used to hold my body as still he could as I began shaking all over. The other hand dealt with my erection, holding it from behind.

"Oh… nh… Kur… Kuro!"

I felt something escape me and I opened my eyes and was horrified to see Kurogane's tan cheek with a white splotch. He had one eye closed and he had stopped mid-lick.

"I… I'm s-sor-rry!" I whispered with a horrible stutter. I don't think I was supposed to do that… not on his face!

"Idiot," he whispered back, wiping it off. "That's fine!" He licked it up and leaned in close to me. "I guess we know what this means though." He nipped the outside of my ear. "I'm seme."

Kuro was referring to my dream, of course. He was beginning to tease me now with his seme-ness because he knew he could. He knew he could do what he pleased with me, even though this was the first time for both of us. Sure, it was all for both of our benefits, but I wasn't entirely sure I wanted him to take _complete_ control. He could be seme, but I wanted to have a little fun with him too! Although, this would still take a little getting used to…. I wasn't used to being loved, especially not like this. I wasn't sure when it would be my turn, but I was on the lookout for the opportunity to be somewhat in control of the situation. I interjected before Kurogane could kiss me again.

"Your shorts are still on."

He looked down at himself. He too saw the beast within his boxers, itching to be set free.

"Go ahead, Kuro-puu. It's only fair!" I derisively repeated his words from earlier.

Kurogane was off the bed and unbuttoning in a matter of seconds. If my erection had gone down any from the delay, watching Kurogane strip brought it back tenfold. Out of the button's opening sprang the very thing I had been longing for all this time. Much bigger than I expected, like ridiculously bigger, it drew me toward it as if it had some sort of gravitational pull. Here was my chance.

I took him in my hand before beginning to gently lick the end. Not only was I easing my way in, I was getting his motors running without any intention of driving too fast very soon; the perfect two birds with one stone tease. I _did_ have a lot of ground to cover, after all. No way the whole thing was fitting in my mouth at once. I did put a couple inches inside my mouth and rolled my tongue all around it. He was beginning to make noises and I was beginning to taste a little of his minigasm.

I was taking a much longer time on the blow job than he had. He had to stop standing and lay down on the bed on his back, with me between his widely spread legs. I was making sure to even get all the hard to reach places underneath. By the time I was there, wetting his testes with my tongue, a steady flow of pre-cum was running from the top of his erection, a little bit getting in my hair.

"Ah… nyh…. Shit!"

His swearing shocked me and made me spit him out.

"Why the hell did you stop?" he groaned through his teeth.

_Ohhh…. During sex, swearing is a good thing!_

I couldn't believe I had made Kuro shake and moan too! I must be pretty good at this…. Though, he hadn't had a total orgasm yet. He must have a lot of self control. Or perhaps he didn't want to have his before I did? Most likely.

He was breathing pretty hard by the time I ceased sucking to climb on top of him. I rose and fell with his panting, but not for long before I was forced onto my back once he rolled over on top of me. His heavier body pressed down on my throbbing extension. I think we both felt it. A bombardment of kissing came my way.

"Glad I… could make… you happy… Kuro… puu….!" I pushed out the sentence a little at a time between kisses.

He was dominating right now, and he was making sure I knew it. Once he stopped kissing me, his body heat left me as he pushed himself upward so he was on his hands and knees above me. Since he was no longer compressing me, my erection could stand freely. I stared up at him as we both panted. Then I looked down at the rest of my body when I felt something tap me.

_Oooh, you are such a tease…._

I frowned when I realized Kurogane's giant penis was dangling right over mine, only tapping it instead of being against it, like it should have been. Lust and longing filled me more and more with every passing second. He wasn't touching me enough. I saw how he handled it when I stopped sucking him and he swore. How long did he expect me to wait? And how long could he wait?

I just knew I wasn't going to wait. I grabbed ahold of his neck, pulling myself up, while my legs maneuvered themselves so they could tie around his lower back. They constricted and unconstricted to pull me against and away from him in little thrusts of my groin against his.

This didn't last for long before Kurogane came back to bed-level with me still underneath him, now unable to move in the same way, because Kurogane decided it was his turn to do the humping. We both moaned as Kurogane's pelvis roughly rocked into mine, back, and into me again. The overflow of pleasure caused me to dig into Kurogane's back, grit my teeth, and my legs to fall from on top of him.

"Ah… hah… K-Kur… ah… can't… I…."

"Nhh… now."

He knew what I was talking about despite me not even being able to finish my sentence.

I thought I had reached the height of this sexual ecstasy before when Kurogane was ramming himself into me, but it practically doubled when I released the orgasm I had been holding in along with my lover. We came together all over each other in a big, sexy mayonnaise and sausage sandwich mess. We were the bread (he was wheat, I was white), our orgasms were the mayo, and the sausages… yeah.

He had collapsed on top of me, sweating and nearly out of breath. I, under his heavy, sexy self, struggled to keep my composure and not scream out his name.

"Oh, Kurogane!"

It didn't work.

"Heh. Yes, Fai?"

Kurogane got off of me and rolled over so that we were both on our backs. It was much easier to get air without him compressing me. I sure had gotten used to the idea of sex quicker than I thought I would. It was most likely a tempting combination of thrills and the simple feel of Kurogane's body. Then there was the teasing. Being the one to tease was quite fun.

"That was… so good…!" I breathed.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for that," he told me.

He was right. I really didn't have any idea. I didn't even know he had given this much thought.

"Enlighten me. Just how long?"

After a few breaths, "A very long time."

_But that means…._

Unless four days was a long time to him, he had been having homosexual thoughts since before he had the internal battle with himself about whether he was gay or not. And unless eight days was a long time, he had been fantasizing about this moment since before we even came to the island. Wow….

"To be honest, me too, Kuro," I revealed. "Was it everything you ever hoped it would be?"

"There's just one other thing that needs to happen…."

_What else does this guy have up his invisible sleeve?_

"What did you have in mind, Kuro-puu?"

"For starters, you could quit using that stupid name," Kuro-puu said as he sat up. "And next…."

He finished his sentence with body language. He spread his legs to make room for me as I did what I was told.

Revitalizing Kurogane's erection was a very fun (blow) job. Not only did I use my tongue, I also used my hands, fondling whatever wasn't in my mouth. It was gratifying to hear his pleas for more as he nearly came again already. What was more was when I stopped licking him and he swore at me that I needed to continue. Once I had enough of his Kuro-sausage for the moment, I made sure I left him wet like he asked me to.

"Good, now this will hurt less. Stand up," he ordered, getting off the bed himself, dripping with my saliva and his own liquids.

I got off the bed, I also dripping a little on the floor, and went to the wall where he had told me to go. I obeyed my seme, even though I was a little worried about being hurt.

Kurogane's long arms wrapped around my waist as he pulled me closer to him, resulting in his wet erection pressing against my butt crack. He had to let go of me with one hand in order to guide himself to my entrance, but made up for it by now holding me against him with his entire hand on my groin.

"Ready?" he breathed into my ear.

I nodded, unable to speak because I could still not believe what he was suggesting, but not wanting to stop. Stopping was not an option this far in.

"Kuro!"

I found my voice once he penetrated me, uncomfortably situating himself in my opening. My outbursts did not stop him, he "eased" his way farther in little by little so it got more and more painful for me. I tried not to cry out, but his incredible thickness made it difficult. I clenched my teeth and had my fists against the wall. Tears rolled down my cheeks every time he deepened himself by slowly humping against me.

Pain way aside, because the arousal I was getting from this far overtook the discomfort that I was feeling. One hand stayed at my lower stomach with my extension between his fingers so he could push me backward whenever he thrust against me. Kurogane returned his other hand to the front of me, and this one rubbed me down from collar bone to his target. Once there, he rubbed me down there too until he pumped out an orgasm. I came for the second time today into his hand. It was as if I had a second heart down there because it was throbbing so much I was almost certain it was visible.

My knees buckled but he would not allow me to stop just yet, even though I was almost certain I was out of sex juice. The hand with the cum all over it replaced the other as the hand the was over my crotch slammed against my chest to hold me against him as he continued to ram himself into me even harder.

Suddenly, I felt something new. It was as if Kurogane had found the pleasure button inside of me. It nearly eliminated the pain and exchanged it for pure sexual sensation. I suppose he thought he had gone in too far when I screamed out because he didn't go as deep again.

"Ah... far... hah... farther...!" I corrected him.

He responded in the desired manner, thrusting harder than ever before to reach that special spot. Each time, he forced out of me a yelp and a little bit of cum into the hole I had made in the wall. He grunted, getting louder each time.

"Grah! Fai!"

I wasn't out of sex juice. We came together again after a particularly hard, but fulfilling, jab to the prostate. But now I was incredibly exhausted and could no longer stand. The same could be said for Kurogane, whose knees buckled slightly before he sat down with me and his orgasm still inside me.

In the course of the butt sex, I had cried out his name about six times and made countless noises due to the odd combination of discomfort and unimaginable feelings of bliss. But now we were both sitting down, me in his lap laying against his chest, still connected to him, and him on the floor, inhaling all the oxygen in the room.

I was the first to speak, once I had calmed down a little.

"Kuro… that was… it was…"

"Fantastic?" he finished for me.

I nodded, still completely overwhelmed.

"Sorry I came inside of you," Kurogane apologized.

"Sorry? That felt amazing too!"

Since his penis was still inside me, so was his orgasm. He reached down to pull himself out and his Kuro-liquids started coming/cumming out of me into his lap. I was really full of him, but now that he was no longer inside me, I could turn over and see his face. Though, it did hurt to do so.

I hadn't really noticed much before, but we were a complete mess. Both of us were white all over our bodies, with particular concentration on my butt, Kurogane's hand, and both of our stomachs and wieners. Even our hair had a little bit on it. I think I was the messiest though, having both his and some of mine all over me. That didn't stop us though. We wasted no time reconnecting by mouth. I could tell that our activities had taken a lot out of him, but that didn't mean that the kisses lost any feeling, though these weren't very rough to begin with.

Kurogane rubbed me down from my shoulder blades past my lower back. Yeah, he realized just how much there was of him still down there.

"We need to get cleaned up," he told me.

"Mhmm," I agreed, beginning to stand. I didn't get far before pain shot me back down. If I thought it hurt before, this was worse. And not too much pleasure involved.

"What?" he asked.

"I can't stand up, Kuro-puu!" I said, half smiling at him. He understood what I meant right away.

"And we can't exactly take baths in the foyer and contaminate the water…. Karolene will know!" I added. I had just remembered her. I also remembered how loud we had been. Kurogane before he had stripped me and I afterward. I was almost certain we had woken her up. I would have to apologize, but not in my current condition. I was far too dirty.

Kurogane handled me gently, placing me on the floor on my back. He exited the room.

Wow. I couldn't believe what we had just done. I was so thrilled. Not only had he said he loved me, but he had proved it too. Sure, it was painful at times, and it drained all my energy, and it made us both extremely unclean, but I didn't care one bit. I didn't think he did either. The pain would go away, the energy could be restored, and he was about to get us both cleaned up. He would take care of me and all my needs, physical and emotional, and in return I would stop doubting his affection and instead return it so I could be there for him when he needed me.

Kurogane came back in the room carrying some leaves, a shovel-like thing, and a big clay bowl from the storage room. I guessed the bowl was full of water. He set down the water and leaves in a corner while he dug two holes on the far side of the room. I didn't ask any questions because I was certain he knew what he was doing.

The first hole was wide enough to sit in and about a foot deep by the time he finished. The other was the same depth, but smaller.

He also got a few more bowls filled with water before picking me up like a bride and placing me in the hole.

"Eep!" I squeaked when he dumped an entire bowl full of water on top of my head. It wasn't very warm water. My hair got plastered to my face and I began to shiver.

I allowed Kurogane to bathe me, trying to keep my complaints to a minimum. He knew I was uncomfortable. I didn't need to remind him every few seconds.

I could tell, despite the fact that he had probably already been sexually satisfied for the moment, that he was enjoying washing me. He spent an extra careful time on the area between my waist and thighs. He wasn't exactly smiling, but I knew he was beaming on the inside.

By the time I was clean, there was a puddle inside the hole where I sat. He picked me up to put in a drier spot with a torch to keep warm since I was still freezing from the water. I got to watch him clean himself off. Very sexy experience. His back was either facing me me or he didn't make eye contact, so I could watch as much as I wanted to. Sex with Kurogane was a totally different experience from watching him touch himself, wet and naked. Haha, I know, it sounds like a live porno. It basically was.

* * *

**End sex scene. Begin, the ending scene!**

Kurogane dried himself off before putting his boxers back on.

"Can you walk now?" he asked me.

I shook my head before even testing to see if I could yet. I just wanted him to carry me again. He probably knew this, due to the uncontrollable smile on my face. He picked me up anyway. He was still a little cold from his bath, but I would warm him up.

After placing me on the bed, he turned off the torch so it was once again nearly pitch black. I listened to his footsteps nearing the bed and heard the leaf covers rustling as he got underneath them. I joined him at his side, using his chest for a pillow. He used one arm to secure me at his side.

"Kuro?"

"Yeah?"

"I have one more secret to tell you."

"What?"

"I know where Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun are."

I didn't think it would be quite so easy to let the words leave me like that. But they came out without a bit of hesitation.

"Do you? Where are they?" he asked, a lot calmer than I expected.

"On the other side of the island. Past the mountains," I informed him. I didn't know what to expect next, but I did know I needed to wipe the slate clean of any secrets or lies, within reason, and this was a legitimate thing that he might want to know.

"Correct," I heard.

_Huh? Didn't expect that._

"What?"

"You're right. That's where they are."

_Wait, how does he know that?_

"How do you know that?"

"Probably the same way you know."

We had been hiding this… from each other?

"But why didn't you say anything?"

"I was about to ask you the same question, Fluorite,"

Well, I knew exactly why I hid it. If he had known where they were before we had our little fun time, the Fai from previous days would have been worried that Kurogane would have jumped on the opportunity to get away. And the Fai from more recent previous days would have been concerned about his protective nature. Even though he did his best not to act like it, he also cared for the kids and would have felt obligated to go get them. But no! He had known where they were all this time, and he didn't tell me! And I had done the same to him.

"I think you know why, Kuro-rin! The mystery is why _you_ didn't tell _me_!" I said with a small laugh.

"Heh. I think you've got it backwards, idiot."

Well, he wasn't about to admit to me any more affection tonight. Especially when I wasn't admitting any to him. I knew that. And we both knew why we had kept this little detail hidden. Ehh, what the hell. Why not give him what he wanted?

"Cause you would have left the island early Kuro-puu! And we wouldn't have got to spend this time together!" I said, smiling at how well this whole island experience had played out for me so far.

"Wrong, idiot."

I was wrong, was I?

"Hehehe! So you're saying you never planned to leave the island without having your way with me?" I asked him, certain that was what he had meant.

"Correct," he admitted.

"You're so Kuro-naughty!" I giggled into his body. "But also very Kuro-sexy!"

He laughed a little at that.

"But you've made me lose all my energy, Kuro-pii!"

"Then go to sleep now, Fluorite," he ordered.

"But Kuro-pii! My bum still hurts!" I whined, using that as an excuse because I did not really want to go to sleep.

"You'll get used to it," he assured me.

That was his final word for the night.

It took me a while to fall asleep against him, due to my excitement, but I eventually became drowsy, due to my physical exhaustion. However, my mind kept filling with thoughts until I was completely asleep.

The majority of my thoughts were about Kurogane and I and our sexy time. But my mind also traced back to before I lost my virginity, when Kurogane yelled his affections at me. I couldn't believe I had been stupid enough to doubt them, but what was done was done, and he certainly forgave me since he had undressed me, then undressed himself for me. I relished in the feeling of his bare body against mine, the contact of our tongues, and his… leadership! He did like to work alone, but that was one activity he needed _me_ (not Tomoyo!) for!

Kurogane was asleep before I, and even then, he stayed in the same position, as my pillow, and also with his arm around me to keep us together. He wasn't a wild sleeper, but I took it as a more symbolic meaning. He definitely wasn't letting me go. I was going to be with him no matter what sort of odd thoughts entered my mind. And that was the end of that.

* * *

Goodness, that took a lot longer to get out than I had hoped. Hope it was worth the wait for you guys! It'll probably continue to be a little less fast for a while til I get school under control. Keep your wonderful, encouraging reviews coming so I won't forget you all! ( I'm not forgetting you all anyway, but reviews are still nice! )

**WAY LATER EDIT: Kuro-sexy set Fai straight! Yay, Kuro-sexy!**


	11. Day Nine

FINALLY! After two months of waiting! More KuroFai Island! Let me warn you now though... Y'all are gonna HATE ME.

* * *

**Day Nine : Part One**

With a big yawn, I woke up, but when I closed my mouth, I accidentally nipped Kurogane.

"Isn't it a little early for this, mage?" he groaned.

I had known I was sleeping Kurogane's chest, but I didn't know exactly where until now. I had accidentally nipped his nipple. I blushed and took my head away from him when I realized what I had done, but his strong arm brought me back down. He didn't say anything else. I just took it as a sign that he just wanted to be close to me. I snuggled against him, becoming buried in his skin.

"Last night was wonderful," I whispered into Kurogane after a while of silence.

Yes, I was _still_ floating on clouds about that. Hey, it was my first time! And it _was_ wonderful.

"Heh. Hell yeah it was. Did your ass ever heal?"

I smiled. That sentence was pretty funny.

"Yes, Kuro-puu!" I answered as if he were a parent rather than my half-naked, sexy lover-boy.

Kurogane gave me a playful jab to my back and I snuggled in closer, shutting my eyes.

"Like I said, you'll get used to that."

I smiled at his statement, wondering when he thought the next time might arrive and letting Kurogane's steady heartbeat take me back to sleep.

* * *

When I woke up again, I stayed up. Kurogane left to go prepare breakfast. I told him I would talk to Karolene about last night since I knew he was no good with words.

"Karolene? Karolene!"

I found her in the potion room

"Huh? Oh, hiiii Ffaaaiii." she greeted me with a giant yawn. It renewed my guilt about all of our noise making from previous night. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, Karolene. Umm… how'd you sleep last night?"

"I didn't."

_Oh, crap…._

"I was up all night working on the potion," she continued. I was only half relieved though. Even though she wasn't _trying _to go to sleep, we still were probably distracting her. And while I would never take those moments back for anything in the world, I was pretty embarrassed she had to hear them in all their sexy loudness.

"Don't worry about the noise," she added in. I was relieved again that I wouldn't have to be the one to bring up the topic.

"Oh, okay…. I am sorry though, y'know, about all the distractions it might have caused and the p-"

"Fai." She interrupted me. "Don't worry about it," she repeated. "I'm happy that you finally snapped out of that little insecure phase of yours."

"Yeah…."

"So! How was it?" she asked, which shocked me a little.

"…Incredible."

She smiled at me, jumping up to hug me. I hugged back, still feeling a little awkward. I was glad when she changed the topic to the potion we had been working on together for the past few days.

"Is it done?"

"Yes!" she answered excitedly.

"And I still can't know what it does?"

"Nope! You'll know soon enough though, all right?"

I decided not to pry. I would wait patiently. After all, it's not like it was something bad or harmful, right?

* * *

Karolene and I made it outside to find Kurogane sitting by the stream, chomping away on a banana.

"Just couldn't wait until we arrived, could you, Kuro-hungry?"

"Syuut uhk," he said with his mouth full. I think he said, "Shut up."

We ate without much more conversation other than Karolene assigning us jobs for the day.

"Fai, today I need you to go off to the southern part of the island. I need more oranges for a potion I'm making. And you're going to have to go alone, because I need Kurogane here to help me do some manual labor."

I wasn't too keen on revisiting that part of the island because of who I knew was over there, but I didn't refuse. Though I enjoyed every last second of Kurogane's body, I still felt pretty bad about having sex in Karolene's house while she was being so hospitable letting us stay there, _knowing_ that she was not exactly at the highest point in her life right then. I made a mental note to make it up to her in any way I could.

Ah, it was a little harder than I thought to part from Kurogane, knowing I wouldn't see him again for a few hours. We gave each other swift kisses when Karolene had her back turned.

She allowed me to take one of her spears with me just in case I met up with one of the cannibals, but she told me to make absolutely sure that I left it behind after getting the oranges. Karolene knew that the savages knew that someone was taking their things they left around. Since she could spare the spear, she thought leaving the spear behind might give them the notion that either no one is taking anything or the one who is doing the taking is giving everything back. I knew that wasn't what I would think if I were them, but I didn't argue. I would do as I was told.

With my protective spear I set off for the south. I knew I had a ways to go and I knew it wouldn't be any fun without Kurogane or at least Karolene to talk to. I tried to enjoy the scenery, but after being on this island for over a week, I was already too used to it to enjoy it. I tried humming a tune, but I wasn't feeling very musical at that moment. I tried counting, then singing the alphabet backwards, tapping beats on the ground with my spear, and finally, thinking about Kurogane. I must say, that idea lasted the longest.

Sex with Kurogane was the best feeling I has ever felt. And I couldn't believe I had gotten so close to driving him away. If he didn't feel the way he feels, he probably would have given up on me completely. He could have gone to Karolene to fulfill whatever desires he had at the moment, but no. He didn't. Kurogane obviously had love so deep for me that… I can't even _begin_ to fathom the depth of his feelings! (haha, measurement pun) And the same went for me. Kurogane was my world. Losing him would be like losing a vital organ. Or losing your favourite toy as a child. Or even like having a major project destroyed after working on it for months and months. But come to think of it, losing Kurogane would be worse than all of those things. Except for maybe the organ one. I could die. And I didn't want to die. Not now. I had no reason to die. I was happy. And Kurogane was happy. We were happy.

I wondered when we would have sex next…. I hoped tonight we could do it again. In some different positions to spice things up. And just a little bit quieter so that we wouldn't destroy Karolene's night of sleep again. I still was sorry about that. Maybe Kurogane and I could have a game this time. We both have to be as quiet as possible no matter how good it feels. And maybe we could do some foreplay. There _was_ a set a shackles and chains I picked up from the beach after the storm… and also plenty of other obscure props that we could use to get even kinkier. Mmmm, I was getting a crazy feeling just _thinking_ about what we would do tonight. Nope, it wasn't an option anymore. That was what was going to happen.

I though about how he would react to me telling him. I played out various versions of the conversation in my head.

**Version One**

_Me:_ Heyy, Kuro-sexy.

_Him:_ (smirks) What, idiot?

_Me:_ Karolene's gone to bed. Wanna mess around? (pressing my chest against his) I've got some… ideas. Wanna try some kinky stuff?

_Him:_ (putting his hands on my butt) Absolutely. (kisses me passionately)

_Me:_ (kisses back, just as passionately, then whispers) Let's go….

_Him:_ (one more kiss) Come on. I'm getting hard just thinking about you and your fine ass. (he grabs one of my butt cheeks and leads me into the room)

**Version Two**

_Fai-horny:_ Kurooo~!

_Kuro-seme:_ (laying on the bed on his side with only a palm leaf covering him) Quit fooling around and get in this bed right now.

_Fai-horny:_ Right away, Kuro-puu! (catwalk to the edge of the bed with a visible half-boner)

_Kuro-seme:_ Get on this bed and get those shorts off right now.

_Fai-horny:_ (get on top of Kurogane, but stay clothed, teasing)

_Kuro-seme:_ (flips over so I'm on the bottom, moving downward to rip my boxers off with his teeth. He stops once he gets them off)

_Fai-horny:_ (breathing heavily) Don't… stop… there… Kuro… meanie….

_Kuro-seme:_ Call me by my name.

_Fai-horny:_ (still breathing heavily) Kurogane….

_Kuro-seme:_ Louder….

_Fai-horny:_ Kurogane!

_Kuro-seme:_ LOUDER!

_Fai-horny:_ KUROGANE!

Kuro-seme: (slurps up my sausage)

_Fai-horny:_ Ahhh, Kurogane! Ahhhhh!

**Version Three**

_Fai-seme:_ We're doing it, Kuro. Right now. Get undressed.

_Kur-uke:_ (smirks) Way to take the initiative.

_Fai-seme:_ Just let me get one thing…. (comes back with some rope and shackles)

_Kur-uke:_ (smirks more) I like where this is going.

_Fai-seme:_ (crawls on top of Kurogane, who did get undressed, sliding my tongue past his lips)

_Kur-uke:_ (gladly accepts, slapping both hands on my butt)

_Fai-seme:_ (craftily before he can notice, I tie his arms together and slide out of his grasp so I can secure his wrists)

_Kur-uke:_ What the hell?

_Fai-seme:_ (pull down my pants) Shut up and suck it!

Mmmm, just the _thought _of these things happening were making me hot. If I hadn't taken a break from my Kuro-fantasies to look at my surroundings, I would have missed the orange trees!

I took the initiative to make several palm leaf baskets to carry the oranges in. I would only be able to carry three baskets in my arms, but I made six. I would carry an extra one under each filled one. I was feeling confident that I wouldn't meet any cannibals either. I hadn't heard a single sound that wasn't a bird, chirping in the trees, or the stream nearby. Everything was very peaceful, and very calm, but I didn't want to let my guard down too much. I was in their territory.

I gathered about fifteen or so oranges, which I struggled to carry in my arms in the baskets I had made. It took me a little longer than I would have liked, but I finished. The sun was about to begin setting not long from now. I set my spear down like Karolene told me to and began to head back to where I knew my Kuro-sweetie would be waiting.

Ahh, I missed him. It had only been a few hours, but I missed him dearly. We hadn't been apart like this in... ever! Was I obsessing? I didn't want to feel like I was, but I probably was, so I did feel like I was. But to some extent, I didn't care. I didn't want to appear too clingy or desperate though. That would be easy though, since I liked to tease the man.

How would I greet him? We couldn't jump to the sex right away. Would I take the direct, "I missed you more than I can ever say" approach?

"Kuro-puu, I've missed youuu! Kiss me!"

And then he would kiss me, and we would hold hands. Then I might say, "I've been thinking about this all day...!"

Or perhaps I would take the "I can't survive without you, but don't want you to know that" road.

"Hey, Kuro."

"Hey, sexy."

Then he would hug me affectionately, and I would respond in a slightly less affectionate way that usual.

Nahh, then he would think something was wrong with me. And I don't need to put him through any more scares. I will respond with equal or more affection than I feel from him, which is probably what I'll be feeling anyway.

_What was that?_

I thought I had heard a noise. I stopped in my tracks to listen, trying to detect any movement nearby, trying to see if it was me or not. I came to the conclusion that it was me who had made the loud crunching noise. I did see crunchy leaves under my feet. I moved on.

_What was that?_

I asked myself the same question again that I had asked seconds earlier. I was still on leafy ground, so I made a point to not step on any more leaves. Then that would not happen anymore.

_Not again!_

Minutes later, a third noise followed.

I tried to find every possible reason that the same noise could have been made by me. This time, I wasn't so certain that the one small leaf beneath my feet had made such a loud crunch. I could no longer deny that I was being followed.

Who was it? Was it the savages? How many of them were there? What did I do? Stay put? Run for my life? What about the oranges I had been sent to get? Did I care about them? Was-

I didn't have a chance to ponder on anything else. In just a few short seconds, all I could see were savages racing at me from my right through my wide eyes. I froze in horror, dropping my oranges and my jaw. Even if I had ran, I was being ambushed from all sides, so at least one of them would have caught me. Their ugly, dirt-crusted faces neared me as they screamed out battle-cries, but I couldn't understand them. I could smell dried blood and rotten meat on every last one of them and could feel their spears, even though they had not yet stabbed me. It's not like my spear would have helped me if I did have it. I couldn't move.

They knocked me out with one swift jab to the skull with the end of a spear.

* * *

It was almost dark when I woke up. Light and heat radiated off of torches that I saw surrounding me. I was tied up by my wrists and ankles with incredibly tight rope and I was being held above the heads of the savages. I felt disgusting. They had been touching me with their unwashed hands, covered in dried blood and filth. If I wasn't bound with rope, the first thing I would have done would have been to run into the ocean. But I couldn't do that, because the cannibals threw me on the ground. Dirt got in my mouth and nose. I coughed and spat the dirt out, squirming to sit on my butt. I look toward another source of light other than what was behind me, and I could not believe my eyes once my eyes began to sort out what it was that they were seeing.

There, by the stream, sat not only my Kuro-puu, but Karolene as well, sitting on a rock. Well, Kurogane was the only one sitting on a rock. Karolene was sitting in Kurogane's lap in her mermaid form, tail wrapped around his body and wagging slowly, and her arms around his neck as she pulled herself closer so that she was pressed against him. Kurogane had one hand on what would have been her butt if she were human and another hand on her lower back. They were looking into each other's eyes until Karolene turned her head slowly to look at me. She gave me the nastiest smile I had ever seen before slowly turning back to Kurogane.

"Kiss me," she whispered to him, loud enough so that I could hear her lust strewn voice. And he obeyed.

This was not a dream. If it were a dream, I would have put it in the present tense. But oh, how I wish it were just a bad dream, a horrible nightmare that I could forget about once I woke up and found myself in Kurogane's arms, knowing he would never have it any other way.

My jaw dropped and the tears came.

"Kurogane!" I screamed in a cracked voice. "Kurogane…!"

He slowly turned to face me, stopping the kiss with Karolene, but Karolene turned his head back to face her.

"Don't stop, Kurogane…" she said, diving back into his face for more. She made it clear as glass that they were using tongue. Lots of tongue.

I watched in horror as Karolene pressed her body against his, biting and licking his lips as she kissed him. She took her coconut bra off and threw it at me, where it landed in my lap. I struggled to get it off, but it just ended up with me back on my side on the ground and the bra next to me.

"That's better," she said quietly, pressing back against him with the only thing that kept them from total contact gone. "This is what you like, isn't it?" she asked him.

Kurogane nodded. "Yes."

"Do you enjoy men?" she asked him, stroking his chest.

"No."

"Did you enjoy him last night?"

"No."

"Did you ever love Fai?"

"Never."

"Who do you want?"

"You."

"Why?" she asked, backing away from him a few inches.

"You're sexy. And because I love you," he said, pulling her back into him and a long, deep kiss.

I couldn't believe I was watching this. I didn't want to, of course, but at the same time, I couldn't look away, as painful as it was to see my boyfriend, who I thought loved me, kiss all over Karolene as if she was me. It was supposed to be me and Kurogane. No one else even close to entering the equation, but somehow, Karolene had made herself a constant and kicked me to the other side so that Karolene + Kurogane = Broken-hearted Fai. I had to know why that had to be the answer. Hadn't I been through enough already? I thought I had finally found something to be happy about, something to believe in. I had finally found someone who I was certain loved me, but it all turned out to be a lie.

"Kurogane…. Why…? Why…?" That was all I could say as I cried silently, tears rolling down my face and to the ground, since my hands were tied up and could not wipe them away.

Karolene spoke for him.

"You know as well as I do that Kurogane is too sexy to be left to someone like you. You also should know by now that Kurogane is straight, not a freak homo like you. Kurogane loves a woman's body, my body, and my body alone. From the moment I saw him I had been plotting to get him away from you. And I saw my opportunities very clearly. All I had to do was get you to trust me and get you closer to Kurogane."

"Why would you want me closer to him if you were going to just take him away from me?" I yelled at her through my tears, exasperated and confused.

She smirked. "To make it that much more painful."

My heart practically stopped. Crying and hearing such news was proving so difficult that I could hardly breathe. She continued speaking.

"I told him to get under your skin and crack your shell wide open until you were willing to have sex with him. I _told_ him to take your virginity. And he did it. And I know he did. Not only did I hear you scream every other second, I know he did it because Kurogane does whatever I say. Don't you?"

"Yes." he said.

"And why is that?"

"Because I love you."

Kurogane swiftly kissed her again.

"No! No, there's no way! There's no way…." I shouted at her, tears getting in my mouth.

"What, you don't believe me?" Karolene asked me. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Slowly, (everything she did was painfully slow) Karolene uncurled her tail from Kurogane's back, jumping onto the ground with her hands, her mer-tail following her.

"Stand up," she commanded.

Kurogane stood.

"Pull down your boxers," she demanded.

Kurogane pulled them down, revealing himself not only to me and her, but the cannibals still behind me as well. He wasn't having an erection though.

"Sit back down."

He sat.

She seal-walked over to him flipping her hair backward before propping herself up between his spread out legs and picking up Kurogane's sausage.

"No…" I said weakly. "Don't… you… dare…."

Karolene stroked him and Kurogane lightly moaned.

"Don't what?" she asked me.

"Get away from him, you bitch! He's mine. You aren't taking him away from me! He's all I have!" I began to worm my way over to her. "He's mine, you bitch!"

"Restrain him further, Temona," Karolene said to the crowd behind me. I recalled that name from days ago when Kurogane and I were spying on the savages. I felt myself being picked up off of my side. I fought against her as best as I could, but it was no use when four other savages came over to help her tie me up further by holding me down. I decided to stop just so that it would be over with and they could get away from me. The rope that bound my feet was now tied together with the binding on my wrists by a third rope. I was in a ball now. If I were to escape, the only thing I would be able to do would be to roll.

"That's better…. Now, where were we?"

Karolene focused back on Kurogane with her eyes dead set on him and his giant self.

"What do you want to happen, Kurogane?"

"Touch me," he breathed.

"Where?"

"There!" he pointed.

"Nowhere!" I screamed.

"Shut him up," Karolene told the savages.

They stuffed an unimaginable amount of leaves inside my mouth. I could have thrown up, but I tried my hardest not to, because the vomit would have had to stay in my mouth because nothing was leaving my mouth. Not the leaves, not the dirt, not my words.

"Let's not delay this any longer…" Karolene said seductively to Kurogane, reaching for him. And he allowed her to take him and jerk him around. He moaned at the touch, even though she was doing it all wrong in my opinion. This whole scenario was wrong. I was hoping that it was all just a big trick. I would still be very hurt if it was a trick, but at least this wouldn't be real. Kurogane really never loved me?

"You're about to come, aren't you?" Karolene asked Kurogane.

"Y-yes…."

"I want to taste it. Let me taste all of it."

Karolene put Kurogane inside of her mouth, which was the final push he needed to come right inside her. The excess dripped down from the corner of her mouth onto the ground. Karolene climbed back on top of Kurogane to sit and make out with him again.

"Did you enjoy that?"

"Yes." Kurogane nodded.

"Would you have enjoyed it if it came from him?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"Because I love you and only you."

"That's right. And this is my final word to you." Karolene turned to me. "I knew as soon as I saw this sexy man that he was only with you because you were the only other one on the island. No other possible explanation, because he said as soon as he saw me, he fell deeply in love with me. Isn't that right?"

"No!" I said.

"Yes," Kurogane said.

"Just give up, Fai," Karolene told me in the nastiest voice possible. "I plan on keeping Kurogane human for a few more days before I take him home to my family as a sexy merman. You know what the best part about this is? Not only do I get to have human sex _and_ mer-sex, when he transforms, he will be _twice_ as sexy as he is now. Can you imagine it, Fai? If you can, great, because you will never see him again. Take a good last look, because this will be the last perfect couple you see in your life. You are going to be tortured. You are going to die. And they are going to eat you. Would you like to say goodbye to the idiot, Kurogane?"

"No."

"Well, I guess this is it then! But I shouldn't be rude, I suppose I should say thank you for giving me your man. Really, it's too much, Fai, but you don't deserve him. You never did, and he knew it, but he needed _someone_ right then. And since you are merely a last resort, you have no reason to live. Goodbye. Now go die."

Karolene whispered something to Kurogane, but I could barely see, think or breathe anymore.

Kurogane walked over to me, kicked me hard in the stomach, and walked back over to the rock. I curled tighter into a ball and was picked up by the savages and carried away. When I tried to roll, they stopped me. It didn't take long for me to give up.

_So… Kurogane never loved me…. It was all a lie…. I was just a fuck buddy because Karolene had ordered Kurogane to pretend to love me. Damn… Kurogane was an excellent actor. I should have gone with my instincts and left Kurogane when I had the chance…. But now it's too late. No wonder he wanted me to have sex with him so badly. I suppose this is it then. This is the end to my miserable life. Technically, I never got to have any real happiness, because it was all a lie. I hope they make this quick…. I don't want to live anymore. Life is a bitch, just like Karolene. I can't believe I was so… stupid! How could I have not seen this coming?_

I looked back at the beginning of my day.

_All that stuff I had planned for us… All those things we could have been doing right now… Karolene took it all away. Even if he didn't really love me, would that have been alright for me to think he did? It was better than nothing. It was better than this._

I looked back at last night with Kurogane.

_Even if it meant nothing, (or rather was just a plot to get me closer to Kurogane so that him leaving would be infinitely more painful) I must say that I much prefer not knowing anything about this. This is a perfect example of "ignorance is bliss." I would have been happy forever just thinking that Kurogane loved me. I had been convinced that he loved me._

I looked back at how Kurogane kissed me and held me.

_His lips were thin, but soft and fit with mine perfectly when he would kiss me. His hugs were warm and just tight enough to let me think that he would never let me go. Then he would take me into his lap and let me sit on it. Oh… but Karolene was sitting on his lap now…._

I looked back at the way Kurogane told me he loved me.

_He got so upset when I told him that I didn't think he loved me…. But now that I think about it, it all makes sense. I had caught on. He had to prevent me from having those thoughts for the sake of their plan to tear my heart to pieces._

_I can't believe this is happening…. It just… can't be real. But it is real. Kurogane never loved me. He loves Karolene. Evidently, I am not meant to be loved. And if I am not loved, I am not needed. Karolene is right. The only thing left for me to do is to die._

* * *

**WAY LATER EDIT: My goodness, I was cruel to Fai. Let's see what happens now, after two years of waiting for the ever-elusive Day Ten.**


	12. Day Ten

All I can say is FINALLY... and this chapter contains peanuts. So be warned if you have a peanut allergy.

**KuroFai Island - Day Ten**

If I could have fallen asleep during the commute back to the south side of the island, I would have, but the pain was torturing me so, and I couldn't stop thinking about it for a second.

What I couldn't believe though, was how my feelings were being directed.

I no longer thought of Karolene as a friend, obviously, …but I still thought of Kurogane as a boyfriend. Even though he and Karolene both had told me outright that he did not love me, it almost made my attraction toward him stronger. Now that I knew I couldn't have him, it made me long for his hold, his kisses, his love, even more.

However, if he were to come charging back to me right now, I knew that things would never be the same again. He had betrayed me in the worst possible way. Kurogane had allowed me to lay in the dirt, crying my eyes out, while he forced me to watch him make out with another person, a girl of all people! A girl who was supposed to be my friend. Then he had allowed her to play with… _my_ thing! That thing was _mine_ and mine alone… and he let her touch it, and suck on it... He even moaned when she did, so it was evident that he enjoyed what Karolene was doing, even though what she was doing wasn't the sensual stroking motion that I would have done for him. What she had been doing looked like it would have hurt. Maybe Kurogane was into that kind of thing. So was I… and we never got to try it...

Oh, how I hated Karolene. How I loathed that smug smirk she had on her face whenever she would take another step toward my Kurogane. Oh, how I detested the way she had crawled all over him the day we had met. How I hated the way she was with those flirtatious smiles and slutty clothing. So, she was a mermaid, who cares? How I absolutely despised everything about her.

Oh, how I loved my Kuro. My Kuro-sexy. My Kuro-cutie. My everything. Oh, how I admired the way he would take control, take me in his arms, and kiss me. How I adored the silent, almost shy way he would tell me that he loved me through his actions. How I loved everything about him, from his raging anger to his passionate ways. Oh, how I hated his lies.

The savages dumped me in a deep pit. Even if I were untied, it would have been impossible for me to get out.

I heard one say something that sounded like, "He's too skinny to eat."

I heard a few more agree with her.

They talked for a while. Eventually, they decided to feed me something they called "food fattener." The name alone sickened me. I would rather starve to death and become a skeleton down here than gain weight and become their dinner.

I was left alone after a few moments to shiver in the cold. I didn't roll around because I was afraid of what I might bump into in the dark, smelly hole, but I did manage to make my tongue push out the leaves that were gagging me. I couldn't help but sense that there were skeletons or some other eerie objects down there along with me. I was glad I couldn't see anything right then.

Some faint chatter, the blowing wind, and a crackling fire were all I could hear. No sounds of Kurogane fighting off the savage leader and coming to save me. The longer I waited for a Kuro-hero, the more my hopes faded. The longer I waited, the more I came to accept what was happening to me. I came to accept my fate as the meal of a bunch of filthy, savage beasts. I accepted that I was a piece of garbage in this world, not meant to live a happy day. I had managed to sneak a few, but I didn't deserve them. They belonged to the rest of the world. I didn't cry or whine. I simply let things be, and eventually I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up sometime later. It was still dark. Perhaps it was my muscles, aching from being in the same position for so long, that woke me. I longed to stretch my legs and arms and just be free to move. Would the savages believe that I wouldn't run away? Probably not.

"Fai!" I heard. The sudden, quiet calling of my name startled me so badly that I almost had a heart attack. I didn't even know who was calling me until I heard them again and felt their presence at my side after jumping down into the hole.

"M-Mokona...?" I whispered, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"Fai! You're okay!" she exclaimed. I felt myself being untied and my limbs freed from their long-term bindings.

Once free to move, I didn't. I couldn't. My mind was slow to wrap around the idea that Mokona had found me, was saving me, and that I might not become dinner after all! I didn't even tune into what she was saying to me until the very end.

"...and Sakura-chan are just fine on the other side of the island. Good thing I came to find you when I did! But where is Kuro-puu?"

Kuro-puu. Mokona appearing almost made me forget about him, his deceit, and how he stabbed me in the back right through my heart. The tears came once again.

Mokona must have heard me sniffle. "Fai, what's wrong? Is he okay?"

I said nothing. I didn't have to say anything. Mokona could figure it out all on her own. She was clever that way.

"Fai..."

I sniffled again. "Don't worry about... that. Let's just get out of here before they find you, too." I could just imagine them tying her up and trying to eat her for dessert. What a horrible thought.

The hole brightened up as Mokona began to work her magic. I wondered if any of the savages were aware of the light. If they were, they made it over too late to do anything about my escape.

Mokona and I ended up near the beach. I fell knees-first onto the cool sand and dropped to all fours. It was great to be free, but at the same time, I wanted to crawl back into that pit and just get life over with already. When I looked up, Mokona was next to me looking somber. I could tell she wanted to talk. I sighed and sat down on the sand and prepared myself for more tears.

Mokona could not have been a better listener. She almost made me _want_ to tell her. On the one hand, I assumed that she would figure out what was going on anyway, so not telling her just would have made her have to work for the information. On the other, telling her about what happened made me feel better. Having someone agree that Karolene was evil and listen while I ranted about Kurogane being a back-stabbing jerk eased me somewhat. Plus, she did save me from being eaten, which I was half-thankful for, so I supposed I did owe her an explanation of why I ended up in that hole in the first place. I told her about the days before we met Karolene, how great everything was going up until the fifth day and how he had quickly become more affectionate toward me. I told her about how Karolene had befriended me, asked for help with chores and a potion, and how I agreed without thinking. I even hinted to Mokona about the previous night when Kurogane and I were the closest. I did omit the fact that my secret desire to die had again resurfaced. I hoped that amidst all of the other emotions that this one would slip by Mokona's astute detection.

"...so I was carried away by the savages and they threw me in there. If you hadn't came when you did, I probably would have been force-fed their "food fattener" and... yeah..."

I sighed and gave Mokona another hug. The sun was beginning to rise on Syaoran and Sakura's side of the island. What were they doing right now? They were probably blissfully asleep, snuggled together in a makeshift bed or hammock, glad to be alone together. When we reunited, I would pay close attention to see how far their relationship had progressed in that direction.

"Come on, Fai-san. Let's go get Kuro-meanie."

"What?!" I screamed. Birds in the trees behind us got startled and scattered. "After all I just told you, you want to go get him and bring him back with us?!" I thought she understood! I told her I never wanted to see that liar again!

"But Fai-san, if we take him back with us, he won't be able to be with the mermaid! She'll have to find someone else. Plus, I think Kuro-meanie owes you an apology."

I hadn't thought of it that way.

"You're right, Mokona. He probably should say sorry to me... but if he doesn't want me, do I really have the right to take him from someone he does want to be with?"

"We have to go get him. Trust me, Fai. We have to." She said this with such conviction that I agreed to it.

It was on the walk back to Karolene's house that my doubts about doing this really came out. Mokona could probably feel my emotions before I did. I _had_ told her I never wanted to see Kurogane again, but in reality, I wanted to see him more than ever. I had come to terms with the fact that he wouldn't be with me and that I would some day die alone, but one thing I had to know was why. Why had he pretended to fall in love with me only to pull my heart from my chest and squish it between his thick, calloused fingers? Why had he kissed me, told me that he loved me, and then touched me all over only to turn around and kiss, love, and touch someone else the very next night? And I had to speak to him one-on-one. Karolene could not be there.

I sighed when we reached the stream. "This is... not going to be easy."

"I know. But you have to." There was that conviction again. I had never heard it from her before and I really had no clue where it was coming from. It was almost as if she wasn't telling me something. It almost scared me into diving into that stream and swimming up into Karolene's cove.

I came out of the water as silently as I could and as far away from the rooms as I could just in case Karolene and Kurogane were there.

_What am I doing?_ I asked myself. _Why the hell am I back here? I shouldn't have come. We don't need to take that jackass with us... He betrayed me and left me to die, and Mokona wants me to go get him?! Why didn't she come? I don't know what she was thinking…. I do want to find out why, but I think I can die without knowing…. I don't feel like getting into it with them, so I'll just turn around..._

"Stupid mermaid, get in here and let me go already!"

I gasped when I heard the screams of Kurogane coming from Karolene's bedroom. He was trying to get away? What?!

"Honey, please stop screaming before you give me a headache. The potion got contaminated somehow and needs to be remade. But never fret, my dear! We'll be loving each other again soon enough!"

_Potion? What potion?_

"I'm not drinking any more of that shitty "passion fruit juice" and I should have known what it was in the first place when you gave it to me!" Kurogane growled. "Then maybe I could have prevented this whole fucking thing…."

"Please, I told you, it's for your health! Both of our's, really. Now, I wish you wouldn't struggle. You're going to mess up our bed."

"_Our_ bed?! This is not _our_ bed and I don't and won't love you no matter how many times you give me that damned potion!"

"But honey, what about my father? What about the rest of my family? I have to bring someone home to them or I'll never be able to return again!" Karolene pleaded, sounding half-way sincere for once.

Kurogane kept his resolve. "I already told you. Find someone else. I love someone already... and you sent him off to die... and I couldn't protect..." He trailed off and I couldn't hear the rest of what he said.

"Well, as long as the one you love is gone, _you_ might as well find someone else."

"I don't love you! At all! You're a pathetic, lonely bitch who will never find anyone at this rate!"

"That's not what you told me last night..."

"We both know that was because of that stupid potion you had me drink!"

"You just need a little coercion..."

"Hey, get away from me! Stop that!"

That was all I needed to hear. I came out of the water as quickly as I could and dashed to the potion room. There, I picked up the cauldron containing the potion that made Kurogane fall in love with Karolene, the potion that I helped make, and entered the room.

"Fai?!" Kuro and Karo yelled at the same time, both equally shocked to see me.

Before I acted on Karolene, I flicked my gaze to the left over to Kurogane. He was really a sight to behold. He looked like a starfish. All four of his limbs were chained to Karolene's bed so he couldn't run away and his boxers looked like they had almost been pulled off. His expression had a mixture of relief and confusion, probably due to the fact that he was certain I had been killed by now, but now realized I had miraculously survived.

I raised the cauldron above my head and threw its contents on the mermaid. She let out a shriek and dove after me. "You idiot!"

She tackled me to the ground and I dropped the cauldron. If only she had been in mermaid form, she would have been easier to fend off. She was irate and soaking with the potion. Karolene threw the first punch. It hit me right in the jaw, but no sooner than I was hit did I punch her right back and made her nose bleed. I probably broke it.

The second blow I dealt to Karolene seemed to make her twice as angry. With her rage doubled, she came at me full force. If she wasn't on top of me, it would have been much easier to dodge her fists, but I had to resort to blocking. Even though she is a complete and total bitch, I have to hand it to her; she can really throw a punch. Before I knew it, my own nose was bleeding and I was hearing shouts from Kurogane.

"The cauldron, idiot! Pick it up!"

From my position, I couldn't see where the cauldron went when I dropped it, but I was certain that Karolene would try to get to it before I did. Her eyes flicked over to it. I could see her plan formulating in her mind almost as clearly as she could. She wanted to finish me off with a blow to the head as soon as she hurt me enough. But she had made a mistake. Now I knew exactly where her stupid pot was.

Instead of blocking her next punch, I sacrificed my other jaw in order to put my entire palm on her face. I pushed with all the force I could muster and scrambled to get up while she was still discombobulated from my unexpected move.

I crawled toward the cauldron. It took no time at all for Karolene to see what I was trying to do and pounce back on top of me. I shot my foot backwards, but my kick didn't connect and I was on the ground once again, but in a far worse position than before.

I reached for the handle of the cauldron as she sent a barrage of fresh punches to my skull. The room began to look flashy and I began to feel light. I tried to fend off her punches and cover my head with my other arm, but this tactic was ineffective.

After I finally got my hand on the thin metal wire, I did an anti-clockwise windmill with my arm hoping that the pot part of the cauldron would crash into Karolene's head. The big impact I was hoping for did not happen, but she did say "Oww," and backed off a little. In the short moment when she recoiled, I used what little power I had to push the mermaid off of me. She landed on her back next to me and I held her down as I lifted the cauldron to give it as much potential energy as I could. Karolene's face looked fearful as I held it above her head.

"No!" she screamed.

I struck her forehead with the pot which knocked her out instantaneously and left a large, red bruise. It was only when I dropped my weapon that I realized how badly my own head hurt. She had really done a number on me. I almost let myself drop to the ground beside her, but I had one more thing to take care of.

From Kurogane's position, he couldn't really see what was going on. Karolene's scream must have reassured him that I was the victor, but seeing me push myself off of the ground and onto the bed also let him breathe a huge sigh of relief.

"Finally, that bitch is out of the way... You all right?"

Fighting Karolene and not sleeping properly since the night before Karolene had enchanted Kurogane had drained me. With my adrenaline rush gone, I could barely do anything other than collapse in a heap on top of Kurogane and cry.

"Idiot, this is not the time for tears! Just get me unchained! I've been here for hours with no bathroom break or food."

"Right... sorry..." I wiped my eyes. "It's just that... I'm alive. And for the first time in a long time, I'm actually glad about it..."

I saw Kurogane's eyes widen. "What? What the hell are you talking about?"

Oh, boy. I hadn't mentally prepared myself for this talk at all. The talk I thought I would be having involved me telling Kurogane off for being a terrible person, not me revealing my deepest secret. Could I keep this inside any longer? Could I tell another lie to Kurogane?

"Do you remember a couple of days ago when I told you about Yuui?"

I sat up as he nodded and situated myself on the bed next to him.

"That wasn't completely true…" I mumbled. I couldn't bring myself to look directly at him. I only met his eyes when he said, "I know."

We looked at each other for a moment before he explained, "I knew you were making shit up. But I knew that there was a reason. And I knew that one day I would know that reason and I would know the truth."

He knew. And he didn't want to make me uncomfortable by pressure-questioning me. Another tear escaped my eye and I bent down to kiss him on the lips. It hurt me to know that the last one to kiss him was not I, but at least I knew he had no part in the kisses. Karolene had kissed the potion, not Kurogane. I sat back up and I could see anticipation in his eyes. He deserved to know the truth.

**I'm assuming you've read the books by now or at least already know what happened. If not, a fat, terrible spoiler is coming your way. Watch out for the next bolded line to let you know when it's all over!**

"Yuui… is my real name. Fai is my twin brother. We were both princes of Celes and… we ruined everything. As soon as we were born, everyone started to die…. We were blamed, even though we had nothing to do with it. They put all the dead bodies in a tower where they wouldn't rot. They would stay exactly how they were when they died… and then to punish Fai and I… they… locked us in… opposite sides of the tower…. The only way either of us could leave was if the other…"

I had to pause a couple of times during the story to let out some of the pain. Kurogane waited patiently and sympathetically, though he stayed silent.

"…was if the other died."

I felt as though I was trying to create a marble sculpture with a plastic spoon. These were the hardest words I ever had to speak. The words left my mouth dry. I hoped I didn't need to elaborate on that point. I couldn't say that I was left alive in exchange for my brother's life. Kurogane was smart enough to infer that much for himself.

"So after that, a man named Ashura found me…. He was the first one who ever showed me any kind of kindness. It was such a new feeling for me after being hated for my entire life by everyone except for Fai."

I smiled as I thought of Ashura.

"He allowed me to stay with him and promised me that, one day, we would find a way to bring my brother back."

The small smile soon disappeared. I sighed and looked back at Kurogane who was still giving me his full, sympathetic attention.

"But as you could probably guess, people didn't stop dying when my brother… stopped being alive…. I couldn't stand to see this happen. I hated it. Ashura made me promise to kill whoever was responsible and of course, I said I would. But…."

I took a few deep breaths before continuing.

"It was Ashura," I said in a much shakier voice than I would have liked. "He did it… and he still wanted me to keep my promise and… I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill Ashura. He was the first one who had been nice to me…. I couldn't. So I did the only thing I could think to do. I put Ashura under a spell that put him in a deep sleep and I ran… I ran all the way to the dimensional witch. And that was when I met you."

**Okay. It's over. Back to the made-up plot instead of the real one.**

Kurogane's next words weren't what I thought they would be.

"Go over to the mermaid and take the key to these chains out of her bra."

"What?"

"Go get the key," he repeated.

I obeyed, though I was shocked. Going back over to Karolene disgusted me, especially when I had to touch her to get the key to release Kurogane.

_Click. _I freed Kurgane's right arm. _Thump._ It constricted around me so quickly and brought me chest-to-chest with Kurogane that I didn't even have the mind to yelp.

"Oww…" I eventually said as I tried to embrace him back. It didn't work. He eventually let go.

"The other one, too. One isn't enough," he breathed.

_Click._ I unlocked the other cuff. Kurogane was much gentler with me this time. He held me down with him, almost like a hug, but not quite. He even patted my back, but I couldn't hug him and pat his. As his fingers traced along my spine, I thought about Ashura. I knew he would wake up one day; that was inevitable. But when I put him to sleep, I had not met Kurogane.

_When Ashura awakens, Kurogane will be with me, still protecting me, and still loving me. I wonder how Kurogane would handle this…. Would Kurogane be willing to fight Ashura? Would he be willing to kill for me? Would he die if it meant my brother and I could reunite once more? I don't think I would be able to live without him…. He gives the best kisses in the world…._

Kurogane looked intently into my eyes, willing me to be okay. He knew he couldn't say the right words to make me feel even a little better about what had happened all those years ago, but he still wanted to try. His eyes were alight with the utmost compassion, devotion, and hope. Hope that he had even taken a step in the right direction.

Nothing could heal the trauma I suffered as a child, not even a little bit, but Kurogane was all the assurance I needed that my future would be the polar opposite: full of kindness, packed with happy memories, and topped with smiles. Genuine ones.

* * *

I thanked Kurogane for being so patient with me when I realized just how long he had been chained to Karolene's bed and just how long he had been holding in several cups of potion. I went ahead of him back to the surface to meet back up with Mokona while he left Karolene a present in the corner of the room.

"Fai, you're okay! That sure did take a while."

The sun had risen above the horizon. I thanked Mokona for her patience as well and grinned at her.

"All that stuff I said earlier about Kurogane… nevermind."

Mokona smiled back and winked at me. I only had a moment to ponder what she meant by that before out of the stream rose Kurogane, the only man for me.

"Kuro-puu is okay!" Mokona yelled obnoxiously as she bounced over to him.

"Aww, fuck, it's you and the annoying nicknames," he grumbled, obviously glad we could finally leave the island, but also annoyed that the first greeting had to be one like that.

"Come with me! We're going to get Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan!"

Mokona sped away before Kurogane and I even had a chance to ask her to wait. We followed for a minute or so until I finally called after her to slow down.

"Mokona, could we walk? Kuro and I are both exhausted."

She nodded and almost began walking until Kurogane interjected.

"You can actually go ahead, pork bun, and tell the kid and the princess that we're both fine. I need to rest before we continue."

I smiled slightly. We would be alone.

"For how long, Kuro-puu?"

"Until we've rested!"

"Does that mean an hour or three hours or-"

"Get lost until tomorrow morning! Then you can bring them here and we can go to the next world."

My smile escalated to a grin.

"Oooh, Kuro-puu wants to have Fai-san all to himself!"

Mokona's declaration of the obvious made Kurogane blush.

"Just get out of here!"

Mokona just giggled. I didn't see her leave.

"Fine, whatever," he growled before turning all of his attention to me and blocking out the laughter. He didn't want to wait for Mokona to leave. He couldn't. He had been waiting for this for too long. He brought me close to him and caressed me for a moment as I put my arms around his neck. I too had been longing for the return of this intimacy. He squeezed me to him and pressed his lips to my neck. I closed my eyes and allowed his light kisses to continue. I reacted as if Mokona had left when Kurogane had told her to, as if we were the only two on the island.

"Oh, Kuro-sama… I'm so glad that we're back together with nothing standing between us again." Tears began to form at the corners of my eyes. "Last night, I couldn't stand it. The thought of you loving someone else was too much for me to feel." I opened my eyes to let the tears fall. I saw that Mokona was no longer there. One of my tears must have splashed onto Kurogane's shoulder because he pulled away from my neck right then so he could look at my face.

"Fai, I'm only going to say this one time, so listen." I was all ears. "Yesterday, when that bitch told you to go into cannibal territory by yourself, it made me immediately suspicious, but I didn't say anything. I pushed it to the back of my mind because I thought you would return a few hours later with the oranges and all would be well. I also became suspicious when she offered me a drink that I hadn't seen her prepare. She told me to take a break from gathering wood and come back into her cove. I was tired… and I didn't fully trust her, but I never saw _that_ coming. The last thing I remember before finding myself chained to her bed was her trying to hug me as I took a drink…." He sighed and looked away from me. "When I came to and realized what had happened, I thought you were gone forever… and if you really were, it would have been entirely because of me…." I could tell he had to force himself to look back into my eyes. I could see the overwhelming guilt in his. "Fai, I want you to tell me exactly what I did last night. Don't hold anything back. I need to know."

I felt like I needed to look away now, but Kurogane wouldn't allow me to. He took my face gently in his hand and tilted it up toward him. "Fai… please," he pleaded.

I remembered it like it was yesterday… and, in fact, it had happened yesterday. Really though, I remembered it as if it was happening right then. As I looked back into Kurogane's eyes, I could see the pain he felt from what he didn't know he had done. I could tell he could see my pain as well as the memories broke through the floodgates of my mind.

"Kurogane…" I cried, "Please, just forget about it. All that matters is that we're here together now and we're both fine!" I didn't want to tell him anything. He was already extremely remorseful, even though he had been tricked. The blame was Karolene's, not Kurogane's, but I could tell that he didn't think so.

He shook his head. "Not true. Fai, you have to tell me now. You just said yourself that this hurt you so much that you couldn't even stand it. I can't rest until I know exactly what I did to you."

The memories collected themselves onto a platter in my mind, ready for me to present to Kurogane. Could I really tell him what he wanted to know? As I sighed once again, he tightened his hold on me and reached for my face to wipe away my tears. Did I really have a choice?

"The first thing I remember is being carried back to this side of the island by the savages. They dropped me on the ground in front of you and the mermaid. She was sitting in your lap and kept... kissing you." The disgust on my face was showing through. I could tell. "I was tied up, so I couldn't stop it. Then she made you say things like how you loved her and didn't love me…. She told me that you two had planned for me to get close to you… for you to take my virginity… and you did because you loved her and you wanted to make things more painful for me…."

I was afraid to meet Kurogane's eyes. His grip on me loosened instead of him holding me as tightly as he was before. That scared me to my core.

"Keep going…." It seemed like he was coughing out the words instead of speaking them. I didn't want to go on, not if it was hurting him this badly.

"Talk!" he barked at my hair. I had stopped looking at him completely and had my head down. I summarized the rest of what happened as quickly as I could.

"…S-she made y-you stand up and… p-pull down your sh-shorts and… she… umm… I tried to stop her, but the savages t-tied me up more and gagged me and made me watch…."

Kurogane let go of me completely. I shuddered and shook as I quickly wrapped up the story.

"And then you came inside her mouth, she told me you were coming home with her as a merman, andthatIwasgoingtobeeaten. There, I said it. That's all! Can we please stop talking about-"

"FUCK!" Kurogane punched the tree we were standing next to… and dented it. I backed away out of fear as he continued to mutilate the poor tree trunk and spew expletives.

"DAMMIT!" he shouted with a final punch. He had really done a number on the tree… and himself. I saw little pieces of bark fall out of his hand as he shook it. I wanted to calm him, but he was really scaring me.

"K-"

"I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE THIS!" he yelled before I could begin. He turned his back to me and began pacing. "How the hell… not seen that coming? …such a shitty boyfrie… can't fix this… can't make this up to him…"

He must not have realized how loudly he was mumbling to himself. I heard quite a few little fragments. Kurogane was placing all of the blame for what happened to me on himself… even though he had to know that he was not the main contributor… right? Didn't he know that? He thought that because he made this mistake that he was a terrible boyfriend and could never do anything to make things right between us. I had to let him know just how wrong he was.

"Kuro…" I said calmly, placing my hand on his back. "Please calm down."

"HOW THE FUCK DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN?!"

I almost retreated completely. My hand reflexively retracted from him, but I made it go back. "Please… at least stop yelling. You're really scaring me."

He finally decided to keep his mouth shut long enough for me to talk to him, but he looked absolutely filled with fury. If I didn't choose my words carefully, I didn't know what might happen to me.

"I know you feel guilty, and I know you feel responsible, but this is not your fault at all! Karolene is a selfish bitch who tricked you _and me_ into thinking that we could trust her. You had no reason to believe that she would do something like this and neither did I. She's not horrible at lying, so it's perfectly reasonable that you-"

"PERFECTLY REASONABLE?!" His volume had gone back up as his rage levels hit the ceiling. His eyes looked like they were on fire. "What I let happen to you was not forgivable, it was not unavoidable, and it sure as hell wasn't perfectly reasonable!"

"Unforgivable…? Kurogane, not only do I forgive you for what you did under the influence of that potion, I forgive you for being really scary right now, I forgive you for calling me idiot all the time, I forgive you for everything you could have ever done to hurt me! There, are you satisfied? I forgive you, now just forgive yourself so we can move on!" I hadn't intended to raise my voice at him, but I needed him to understand that this was not his fault. "In fact," I began after thinking, "I need _your_ forgiveness."

"What? What the hell for?"

"Two days ago. I hurt you, not because I was tricked, but because I was insecure. That was my fault. What you did was not."

"Of course I forgive you for that, but this is not the same thing, Fluorite! Not even close. What you did wasn't a matter of life or death! If the pork bun hadn't come when it did, you would be_ dead_, you hear me? Dead! How the fuck could I forgive myself when I hurt you as badly as I did and you almost died because of me?"

He turned his enraged face away from me again. Things were seeming pretty hopeless. What should I do? How do I convince this man who I love to stop hating himself? I almost started crying again, but then I got an idea, my last idea.

"How about this... what if you give me something special to make me feel more alive than I've ever felt? Will that be enough for you to feel like you've made things right?"

He mumbled angrily and put his hands in his pockets and I was surprised when he seemed to calm down. I even thought I saw his eyes light up a little bit. Was he actually considering this as a possibility?

"…I'll think about it," he finally grumbled. This wasn't his usual grumble though. Normally they had much more anger in them. There was something different about this one.

"Or you could just say yes and give me a back massage or something! We do have to leave the island in the morning to go to the next world."

"Hmph. That's true. Fine, lay down."

"Wait, what?"

"You said you wanted a back massage," he said impatiently.

"I actually get one? Wow!"

"Of course you do, idiot," he told me as I got down on the ground.

I wish Kurogane had given me this treatment when I really needed it after I woke up with a backache, but this was nice all the same. He got on all fours above me and began working through my whole torso. It was a rather swift massage, but it worked wonders for me.

"Mmmm… Kuro, that was just what I needed. Thank you!"

I didn't know it would be this easy to get him to stop being so upset with himself. And I got a freebie back massage out of it! What a great deal for me!

"Now what do you want?"

"What? You already gave me a back massage, Kuro-puu. That's all I asked for. We're even."

"Like hell we are. What is it, you hungry? I'll get us some food."

Before I could tell him that I could get my own food, he was running off to find a fruit tree. He really did feel guilty, and he was determined to make it up to me on our last day on this island. …Okay! Couldn't hurt to get a little pampered by the Kuro-meanie for once, and if this is what he needed to ease his conscience, then I supported his decision whole-heartedly.

The coddling didn't stop at just grabbing food. Kurogane couldn't figure out how to weave a basket out of leaves like I had done before, so he cupped his hands and filled them in the freshwater stream so that I could have a drink. He even gave me a piggyback ride when I asked for one, even though I knew he hated every second of it.

We still had plenty of daylight left when I couldn't think of any more silly tasks for Kurogane to perform for me.

"What do you mean you don't know what else you want?" he boomed at me.

"Well, that's really all I want right now, Kuro! You've made me very happy."

Me being "very happy" was not good enough for him.

"Bull shit. You're not happy," he mumbled, perhaps more to himself than to me. I could see him searching within to try to find something else he could do for me.

"Fine, I'm hungry again!"

Before I could even take a breath after finishing my sentence, or tell him that I was just kidding, he was gone once again to find more food. My goodness, he's really invested in making this the best day on the island yet. I dunno if that's really possible! Aside from everything that was not teh sexeh tiemz or the moments leading up to sex, day eight was by far the greatest. He would have to do just a little bit better if he wanted to top that.

"Hey idiot, listen up!" he called when he returned with just one banana. "Tell me about one of those dreams you had."

I gave him a confused look.

"I know you've had more than one about me. How about that "I'm seme" dream?" he asked with a smirk. He neared me and took my hand. He kissed it. I blushed and smiled. "Or that French dream."

"Can you even speak with a French accent, Kuro-puu?"

"Hell no. But that doesn't really matter."

I was about to tell him that he had done quite enough already, but then….

"Okay, Kuro-puu. I'll tell you about a _new_ dream."

"A new one?" he asked with a grin.

"Actually, it's the oldest one. And it kind of reminds me of how you're acting now!" Kurogane raised an eyebrow. "You were being all Kuro-polite and Kuro-protective and Kuro-loving! You were holding me and snuggling me and upset because the savages came and I got a scratch. You said you would train harder every day so that you could protect me and that even if there was a doctor around," I giggled and stepped a little closer to him, "you wouldn't allow him to touch me. You said you would never forgive yourself for not being quick enough to stop the savages from getting to me, even though I only had a little cut. But you know what? You did forgive yourself and you were about to make me feel the best I've ever felt… but then I woke up. It was the day you got your foot caught in the rope trap."

"Uh huh…" he said, seeming pretty interested in this dream. "And what was I about to do before you woke up?"

I grinned. I wasn't sure he would ask, so I showed my gratefulness for his interest. I got on my toes and put an arm around his neck, bringing us closer together. Kurogane put his hand on the back of my head and pressed his body against mine. My intent was to give him a kiss so full of love and passion that he would never forget it. I heard and felt him moan into the kiss as I wrapped my leg around Kurogane's middle. We couldn't have been closer. I backed my head away slightly and put down my leg. "That…" I whispered to him. I was so happy that he let me kiss him like that. It was sweet. No tongue, no biting, and it was just like how I imagined it would have been in my dream.

"Is that what you want?" he whispered back.

I nodded and placed my hand on his chest.

"Touch me… love me…" I begged breathlessly.

Kurogane backed me against a tree and began giving me the attention I had missed the night before. He touched me all over, kissed my neck, jaw, and lips, and even gave me a couple of love bites. But it wasn't… quite the same. I told him that the tree was hurting my back, so we got on the ground. I let him top me and continue, and I thought that maybe him being able to lie on top of me would help things seem better but… it didn't. It wasn't the position. It was Kurogane. I soon figured out what the problem was. His mouth was full of the guilty words he was keeping inside. When he kissed me, they were transferred and, essentially, ruined everything. This had to end….

"S-stop… stop."

He didn't hear me. No, he heard me. His kisses got more furious.

I turned my head away. "Kurogane, stop…."

"Why the fuck would you want me to stop?" he roared.

"This isn't the same. Your kisses… are not the same."

I saw him immediately get defensive. I should have clarified before he could start yelling.

"I knew this would fucking happen!" He threw himself from me. There was a stark contrast between the warmth my body felt with Kurogane on it and the neglect and cold it felt once he was gone. "I'll wash my mouth out, okay? I'll make a fucking toothbrush, I'll do whatever it fucking takes!"

"Kurogane, stop it!" I screamed. Not this again. "First of all, stop saying the F word, and second, stop getting so angry over one little mistake! It was not your fault! Karolene tricked you and there's nothing we can do about it now, so you have got to get rid of this guilt!" Kurogane had frozen in place. I sat up and put my hands on his shoulders. "The reason your kisses don't feel the same is not because Karolene kissed you. It's your overwhelming remorse getting in the way of you being able to love me the way you did two nights ago."

Kurogane began growling. I put my finger to his lips.

"Please… I need you to calm down. I need you to do whatever it takes for you to calm down. Maybe you could even just… sit here. Yeah. Meditate for a while, okay? Come find me on the beach when you think you're calm." I gave him a kiss on the cheek and looked into his eyes earnestly. I really hoped this would work. I didn't know how much longer I could take him being like this.

I went to the beach and watched the waves. I needed to calm down too. I sat in the sand just before the shoreline and tried to think about this from Kurogane's point of view.

_His love for me seems boundless… he cares about me and my life so much. If he knew just how much I didn't care about myself before our romance began, he would probably beat me to a pulp, even though those feelings were gone now. The thought of me dying… because of a mistake he made… oh man. That must have been the worst feeling in the world for him. Now I think understand a little better why he's being so hard on himself._

_But I'm fine. I'm here, and I don't want him to experience that horrible feeling anymore. Neither of us can do anything about what happened now. That is a fact. The only thing we can control is how we react to this. This… this horrible event… it doesn't have to pull us apart. In fact, this can make our relationship stronger. He needs to see that this tragedy, now that it's over, is chance for us to hold each other and be thankful that we are together and we are alive. Hopefully, me leaving him alone for a little while would allow him to sort out his guilt and get rid of it so that he can see that this event doesn't have to impact us negatively forever. Once he realizes that his mistake didn't change the way I feel about him and that I'm fine now that I know it was all Karolene and not he, he can go back to being the man that I know he can be._

I yawned.

_Sleep was not good last night. I guess I could take a little nap until Kuro-puu comes back. Yeah… just a little one…._

I let myself fall back onto the sand. I closed my eyes.

They opened to a much different scene than what I had been expecting. I thought I would wake up and see that the sun was going down and Kurogane had come back. I was right about that much. The surprise was what was on top of and behind me.

On top of me were both of my coats. Just in time. The island's temperature had already dropped quite a lot. I saw that Mokona had drawn a happy face in the sand for me.

"Oy, idiot!" I heard next. I took the coats off and turned around.

"Oh, Kuro-puu! I can't believe you went through all of this trouble!"

Behind me, further up on the beach, Kurogane was sitting on a large pile of leaves surrounded by tiny bonfires. I could see that he was holding food and something else in his hands.

I reached him and bent down to kiss him on the forehead. "Kuro-pipi, this is so nice! I love it. Thank you, Kuro-sama."

I saw him smile at me, and he may have blushed as well. "And that's not all."

I gasped excitedly. "There's more?"

"Yeah… umm…." He stood up and took my hand. He presented me with flowers. I beamed at him. This was so romantic! And so rare! I knew that I wouldn't be seeing this side of my Kuro-pon again any time soon, so I was going to take advantage of this kindness while it lasted! He must have came up with this while he was meditating for those few hours. It really was a good decision to have some time apart to think!

"Oh, Kuro-sama… I love these flowers. And this set up you have, with the food and the fires… thank you. It was really sweet of you and it means a lot to me that you went through all of this trouble as an apology…" I kissed his cheek, "…even if it wasn't your fault."

Then I did something that, quite honestly, I don't ever remember doing in a non-sexual context. I gave him a hug. And you know what? He hugged me back. No dry humping, no groping, no lust whatsoever. My arms wrapped around his body, his arms pulled me close to him. It was just a plain old hug. And it was the closest I had felt to him all day.

When we pulled away, I could tell that face might have looked a little goofy as a side-effect from my recent injection of pure bliss, but Kurogane gazed back at me lovingly all the same. I was about to sit down for the meal, but he took my arm.

"Later," he told me simply. He didn't say a word after that. What did he want to do instead? I thought he had brought this food out to feed me. I decided that my hunger could wait when he began pulling me toward the edge of the water, toward the setting sun. He stopped just short of the wet sand, then changed his mind and decided to get our feet wet. The water wasn't warm, but I didn't object. Kurogane could have dragged me to the cannibal area and I would have followed him.

I stood looking out at the sun, or as I called it in my head, Kurogane's eye in the sky, as I leaned my back against my boyfriend. He secured me to his chest with both arms, and there we stayed for who knows how long.

Kurogane's actions really did speak for themselves. And I was so glad that they did. I had dreamed about so many other Kuroganes while on the island. The one who was over-emotional and super affectionate with his words was, honestly, a nice guy. The Kuro-lusty one who was a horn dog and wouldn't let me be seme would be a freak in the bedroom. _Oh, yes._ The playful Kurogane from the dream where he went stripping on the beach and had a butt tattoo would be a fun one to have around. Even the French Kurogane, with all his charm, romantic poetry, and that sexy accent, was a nice fantasy. …But I didn't want any of them. Not at all. The man who I love hardly ever speaks kindly to me, but that makes the moments when he decides to that much more special. Like now. Kurogane certainly knows how to turn up the heat and make things hot, but he also knows when to just be warm to me. Like now. Kurogane would be a completely different person if he went around butt naked and screaming all of the time; I'm glad he saves his body for me alone and knows how to be silent. In fact, if he liked to run around naked and screaming, he would be… me! And I wouldn't want that. I like how we contrast. And as for him being French… he could be an alien from outer space for all I care. He doesn't need an accent or love poems to be attractive to me. I love him just the way he is.

_I'm going to tell him that at some point tonight…._

I didn't want to say it right then since I didn't want to break the silence. I also wanted to say something to Kurogane about being cold. I was fine, but I could feel him shaking a little. I didn't want him to suffer for the sake of romance… but it was romantic that he was deciding to! I could tell he was trying to stop the shaking, but it just wouldn't let up. Just as I was about to dare to speak and ask him if he wanted to grab one of my coats, one of his hands left my body. I felt him take a deep breath as I frowned involuntarily. The slight unhappiness immediately turned into intense shock when his hand returned and held up an object in front of me.

"Remember this?"

How could I not remember this? It was at the moment that I first saw this that I had felt the most hatred toward Kurogane. Arguably, the most hatred toward anyone ever. I had a mini-flashback to two days ago. The feelings of betrayal, dishonesty, and disbelief returned for a split second inside of me before an overwhelming feeling of surprise washed them away. Why was he bringing this thing back up now? I began to shake too. He held onto me tighter.

"Well, I still have it, o-obviously, and I don't think you're enough of an idiot to still think this is for someone else."

After its initial shock, my slow brain began to comprehend.

_Say more so I can be sure…._

His shaky hand let go of me and he came to my side. He faced me and I turned to face him too. His face could not have been redder. The same could probably be said for mine.

"I've had this thing for two days now, and I'm kind of sick of carrying it around, so…."

Kurogane got down on one knee.

"I want you to have it. I didn't think I would be giving you this ring under these circumstances, but I want you to accept it. I want you… to be mine. Forever."

"…"

My senses stopped. I could no longer hear.

"…"

My vision became teary. I could no longer see.

"…"

But after a moment, I realized that my voice still worked.

"YES!"

And so did my legs. I blinked my tears away as I knelt down to his level.

"Yes," I repeated more quietly. His sunsets were blazing love flames tonight. We met each other halfway in our first kiss as more than just boyfriend and boyfriend. I got a little overzealous and almost knocked Kurogane down into the water.

"Careful, idiot, you're going to make me drop it…. I found it once, I'm not finding it again!"

I grinned at him. There was that snarky attitude I knew and loved. "Of course, Kuro-puu!" I stood up again so that he could put the ring on my finger. He took my right hand and I exploded into giggles.

"What the hell is funny about this?"

It took me a moment to collect myself before I was able to speak. "That's… the wrong… hand!"

More fervent blushing and quiet swearing came from the Kuro-puu. He corrected his mistake and put the ring on the proper finger on the correct hand.

"Wait, oww!"

"What?"

"This ring is too small, Kuro-pii!"

"Dammit!"

"It's okay, we can just get Mokona to resize it!"

"Hell no! Why should we tell the annoying manjuu about this?"

"Why keep secrets? I'm going to tell _everyone_~!" I did a little twirl.

He growled. "But the pork bun-"

"Will find out anyway," I said, finishing for him. He growled again, knowing I was right, and dreading the moment when Mokona found out about our engagement.

Sakura and Syaoran would have to find out too. I wonder what they would think…. Sakura would probably think it was really cute, but I didn't know about Syaoran. He would probably just congratulate us. But we both knew that Mokona would never stop talking about it. Not until the day when we became more than just fiancés.

I knelt down to Kurogane's level again. "Kuro-puu… I-"

"Shut up." He interrupted me this time. "Can't you call me by my name? Just for today?"

"Hmmmm…" I pretended to consider. "Nope!"

"Fine, then I'll just call you idiot for the rest of today! And tomorrow! And the next day!"

"And I'll call you Kuro-puu, Kuro-pii, Kuro-meanie, Kuro-cranky, Kuro-angry, Kuro-"

Another interruption. A kiss this time. The only way to really get me to shut up.

"I love you," he said, "But this shit's got to stop."

MAJOR SQUEAL. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Kuro-puu said he loved me, Kuro-puu said he loved me!" I spasmed out for a moment, totally ignoring the little part about stopping with the nicknames. "I love you too, Kuro-puu." I kissed his cheek. "And you'll always be my Kuro-puu-puu~"

I was so glad that I could call him whatever I wanted without having to worry about him calling off the engagement. All I had to get past was the annoyance, and I was already a pro at that.

It took a long time for me to calm down enough to stop splashing in the water while yelling nicknames and take his hand to go up on dry land, back to the picnic, the coats, the fires, and the flower bouquet. I suggested that we feed each other, which Kurogane thought was a stupid idea that would take a really long time, but it wasn't like we had to go somewhere any time soon. I got to feed him over half of his meal while I refused to pick up any food by myself. I bit and chewed sensually, and eventually, Kurogane began to get the idea.

No way was our engagement night going to go without intimacy. I was relieved when I discovered that it came back. That Kuro-macho that I loved was mostly back.

"I can tell you still feel a little bad, Kuro," I whispered a little while after we started as I placed my hand on his butt. I gave him a small spanking, which probably aroused him more than punished him for his lingering guilt. "You already know that I don't blame you at all, and I can tell your blame is almost gone too… so I want you to keep kissing me…. I want you to kiss me until your pain goes away…."

I didn't have to say another word. It was gone before I knew it. I could feel it in every neck bite, nipple pinch, booty grab, tonguey kiss, junk grope, thigh rub, pelvic thrust, etc. etc. Was it the spanking that did it? I didn't want to think so. I wanted to think that it was a combination of raw horniness, his security in the engagement, and our true passion for each other that conquered his emotions and made him stop guilt tripping himself while we made love beneath my coats.

I didn't think it was possible, but without sex, Kurogane had managed to top Day Eight. And I loved him for it. Love. It's only four letters and one syllable, but it isn't a word to be taken lightly. When together, all four letters are more powerful than any sword or spell could ever be. When abused or thrown around like peanuts at a ball game, it can self-destruct and hurt many people. But when it's given to just one other soul, and they give it back… nothing in the world could ever compare. I'm feeling it now. True love, true happiness, and the true Kurogane. Never before have I felt so alive. Never before has my own life meant so much to someone else or to me. Now I have value… a purpose that no princess or mermaid or insecurities can take. To love this man forever and never let him go. He certainly isn't letting me go. He's made that perfectly clear.

* * *

**...well, there you go. After two years, here you go. I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. There's going to be one more, and maybe a bonus chapter, but KuroFai Island is almost done. Thank you all so much for your loyalty through it all and for new readers, thank you as well! I hope that everyone is happy! I couldn't possibly leave you all on a sad not AGAIN! In fact, let me know if you're happy. After all this time, I need to know if I've still got it! So, yeah. Think about this for a while. See you later with more Until Death!**


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